Electromagnetic Radiation

Electromagnetic Radiation (pronunciation: /ɪˌlɛktrəʊmæɡˈnɛtɪk ˌreɪdiˈeɪʃən/) is a form of energy that is propagated as a combination of electric fields and magnetic fields. The term is derived from the Greek words electron, meaning amber (from which the word 'electricity' is derived), magnes, meaning magnet, and radiatio, meaning emission or propagation.

Overview

Electromagnetic radiation is characterized by its wavelength (the distance between successive waves) and its frequency (the number of waves that pass a given point per second). It includes radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays. All of these forms of electromagnetic radiation are fundamentally similar in that they all move at the speed of light in a vacuum.

Properties

Electromagnetic radiation exhibits both wave-like and particle-like properties, a phenomenon known as wave-particle duality. As a wave, it can be characterized by velocity, wavelength, and frequency. As a particle, it can be characterized by a discrete packet of energy known as a photon.

Interaction with Matter

When electromagnetic radiation interacts with single atoms and molecules, its behavior also depends on the amount of energy per quantum it carries. Electromagnetic radiation is capable of causing ionization, which is the process of removing tightly bound electrons from the orbit of an atom, causing the atom to become charged or ionized.

Health Effects

Some forms of electromagnetic radiation can have harmful effects on human health. For example, exposure to high levels of ionizing radiation, such as X-rays and gamma rays, can cause radiation sickness, cancer, and other serious health problems.

Related Terms

External links

Medical encyclopedia article on Electromagnetic Radiation
Wikipedia's article - Electromagnetic Radiation

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Electromagnetic Radiation