Features of Electromagnetic Waves
$0.00
This diagram shows the key features of electromagnetic (light) waves and introduces some of the terms used to describe them.
- Across the centre is an electromagnetic wave, shown in red.
- The wave is travelling from left to right.
- The different features of the wave are shown by labels.
- At the bottom of the diagram are short definitions of key terms.
Description
Features of Electromagnetic Waves
TRY SOME QUICK QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS TO GET STARTED
About the diagram
About the diagram
- This diagram shows the key features of electromagnetic (light) waves and introduces some of the terms used to describe them.
- Across the centre is an electromagnetic wave, shown in red.
- The wave is travelling from left to right.
- The different features of the wave are shown by labels.
- At the bottom of the diagram are short definitions of key terms.
Remember that:
- Electromagnetic radiation (light) is often described in terms of waves.
- Electromagnetic waves, which are a form of electromagnetic radiation, propagate from a light source, travel through space, and encounter different materials.
- Visible light corresponds with the range of wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation that are responsible for the sense of sight.
- Visible light is a form of electromagnetic radiation, as are radio waves, infrared radiation, ultraviolet radiation, X-rays and microwaves.
- The range of wavelengths that produce visible light forms a very small part of the electromagnetic spectrum.
- Visible light is perceived as colour. The colour red has been chosen to correspond with the wavelength of this wave.
Some key terms
Wavelength is a measurement from any point on the path of a wave to the same point on its next oscillation. The measurement is made parallel to the centre-line of the wave.
- The wavelength of an electromagnetic wave is measured in metres.
- Each type of electromagnetic radiation, such as radio waves, visible light and gamma waves, forms a band of wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum.
- The visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum is composed of the range of wavelengths that correspond with all the different colours we see in the world.
- Human beings don’t see wavelengths of visible light, but they do see the spectral colours that correspond with each wavelength and the other colours produced when different wavelengths are combined.
- The wavelength of visible light is measured in nanometres. There are 1,000,000,000 nanometres to a metre.
Any material through which an electromagnetic wave propagates (travels) is called a medium (plural media).
- In optics, a medium is a material through which electromagnetic waves propagate.
- Although electromagnetic radiation is able to propagate through a wide range of media, it is not dependent upon on any medium for propagation and travels at the speed of light through a vacuum.
- The reason an electromagnetic wave does not need a medium to propagate through is because the only thing that is waving/oscillating is the value of the electric and magnetic fields.
- In general terms, empty space (a vacuum) is not considered to be a medium because it does not contain matter.
- It is the permittivity and permeability of a medium that determines how waves travel.
Summary
About sections (temp)
The frequency of electromagnetic radiation (light) refers to the number of wave-cycles of an electromagnetic wave that pass a given point in a given amount of time.
The speed (or velocity) of a light wave is a measurement of how far it travels in a certain time.
- The speed of light is measured in metres per second (m/s).
- Light travels through a vacuum at 300,000 kilometres per second.
- The exact speed at which light travels through a vacuum is 299,792,458 metres per second.
- Light travels through other media at lower speeds.
- A vacuum is a region of space that contains no matter.
- Matter is anything that has mass and occupies space by having volume.
- When discussing electromagnetic radiation the term medium (plural media) is used to refer to anything through which light propagates including empty space and any material that occupies space such as a solid, liquid or gas.
- In other contexts empty space is not considered to be a medium because it does not contain matter.
Diagrams are free to download
Downloads: Slides or Illustrations
DOWNLOAD DIAGRAMS
- SLIDES are optimized for viewing on-screen.
- ILLUSTRATIONS are optimized for printing on A4 pages in portrait format.
SLIDES
- Slides are available in JPG and AI (Adobe Illustrator) file formats.
- Titles: Slides have titles.
- Backgrounds: Black.
- Size: 1686 x 1124 pixels (3:2 aspect ratio).
ILLUSTRATIONS
- Illustrations are available in JPG and AI two file formats.
- Titles: No titles.
- Backgrounds: White.
- Size: 1686 x 1124 (3:2 aspect ratio). So all illustrations reproduce at the same scale when inserted into Word documents etc.
- Labels: Calibri 24pt Italic.
File formats: JPG & AI
DOWNLOAD THE DIAGRAM ON THIS PAGE AS A JPG FILE
- JPG (JPEG) diagrams are 1686 x 1124 pixels (3:2 aspect ratio).
- If a JPG diagram doesn’t fit your needs, you can download it as an AI (Adobe Illustrator) file and edit it yourself.
- JPG files can be placed or pasted directly into MS Office documents.
DOWNLOAD THE DIAGRAM ON THIS PAGE AS AN AI file
- All AI (Adobe Illustrator) diagrams are 1686 x 1124 pixels (3:2 aspect ratio).
- All our diagrams are created in Adobe Illustrator as vector drawings.
- Save as or export AI files to other formats including PDF (.pdf), PNG (.png), JPG (.jpeg) and SVG(.svg) etc.
Spelling: UK & US
We use English (UK) spelling by default here at lightcolourvision.org.
COPY & PASTING TEXT
- After copy/pasting text please do a spell-check to change our spelling to match your own document.
DOWNLOAD DIAGRAMS
- Download AI versions of diagrams to change the spelling or language used for titles, labels etc.
- We are adding American English (US) versions of diagrams on request. Just contact us and let us know what you need.
- When downloading JPG versions of diagrams, look out for JPG (UK) or JPG (US) in the download dialogue box.
Download agreement
DOWNLOAD AGREEMENT
Light, Colour, Vision & How To See More (https://lightcolourvision.org) : Copyright © 2015-2022 : MediaStudies Trust.
Unless stated otherwise the author of all images and written content on lightcolourvision.org is Ric Mann.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
No part of this website may be copied, displayed, extracted, reproduced, utilised, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical or otherwise including but not limited to photocopying, recording, or scanning without the prior written permission of MediaStudies Trust.
EXCEPTIONS
Exceptions to the above statement are made for personal, educational and non-profit purposes:
Before downloading, cutting and pasting or reproducing any information, images or other assets found on lightcolourvision.org we ask you to agree to the following terms:
- All information, images and other assets displayed and made available for download on the lightcolourvision.org website are copyright. This means there are limitations on how they can be used.
- All information, images and other assets displayed or made available for download are solely and exclusively to be used for personal, educational and non-profit purposes.
- When you find the resources you need, then part of the download process involves you (the user) ticking a box to let us (at lightcolourvision.org) know we both agree on how the material can be used.
- Please contact [email protected] before considering any use not covered by the terms of the agreement above.
The copyright to all information, images and all other assets (unless otherwise stated) belongs to:
The Trustees. MediaStudies Trust
111 Lynbrooke Avenue
Blockhouse Bay
Auckland 0600
New Zealand
[email protected]
We love feedback
Your name and email address will be used solely to provide you with information you have specifically requested. See our privacy policy at https://lightcolourvision.org/privacy/.
We welcome your feedback 🙂
