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Electromagnetic Spectrum

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The waves that make up the electromagnetic spectrum

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The Productive Teacher

Extremely Helpful Electromagnetic Spectrum Worksheets

May 24, 2021 Leave a Comment

Electromagnetic radiation is all around us, but what is it? This is an incredibly complex topic that requires a lot of background knowledge to understand. Luckily, I am sharing tools you can use to teach your students, including digital electromagnetic spectrum worksheets.

First, students need to know about waves. It is helpful to compare electromagnetic waves to ocean waves because most students have some experience with ocean waves. Second, students need to have familiarity with electric and magnetic fields. This is another complex topic, but even just an introduction is helpful. I have an amazingly helpful video that explains what magnetic fields are using relativity. It may be too much for many middle school students, but some of them will really appreciate the explanation.

My electromagnetic spectrum worksheets introduce students to electromagnetic radiation because I like to reinforce that all electromagnetic waves are created the same way. They come from electrons jumping down to a lower energy level. How far these electrons fall determines the amount of energy released as electromagnetic waves. Of course, it is also helpful for students to know that electromagnetic radiation has the properties of both a wave and a particle called a photon.

Electromagnetic Spectrum Worksheets

I have tackled all of these topics in my digital science unit on electromagnetic radiation that includes digital electromagnetic spectrum worksheets. You can see all of the pages below.

The amazing thing about electromagnetic radiation is that, unlike other forms of energy, it can travel through a vacuum. Light from the Sun travels through space for seven minutes before reaching the Earth. The Sun is actually very loud too. We would be able to hear the massive explosions happening on the Sun if sound waves could travel through space.

Light isn’t the only form of electromagnetic radiation traveling from the Sun to the Earth. While the Sun releases all types of electromagnetic radiation, around 99% of the radiation that reaches Earth is UV waves, visible light, and infrared rays. Your students will learn about all of the forms of electromagnetic radiation with the electromagnetic spectrum worksheets in my digital unit.

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Waves, the Electromagnetic Spectrum and Light Worksheets

by Liesl - Homeschool Den

Learn all about Waves , the Electromagnetic Spectrum and Light with these new Notebook Pages and Worksheets!

In this section, we went over terms like wavelength, frequency and amplitude before talking about the 7 types of electromagnetic waves in the electromagnetic spectrum

• radio waves
• infrared radiation
• visible light
• ultraviolet radiation

The electromagnetic spectrum is the range of wavelengths or frequencies over which electromagnetic radiation extends.

We talked about what some of these different types of waves are used for.  For example, microwaves are not only used for cooking but are also used in modern technology for point-to-point communication links, wireless networks satellite and spacecraft communication, medical diathermy and cancer treatment, air-traffic control and more.

From there we went on to talk about light & the human eye .  We talked about how the different parts of your eyes work together to help you see.  We talked about the cornea, pupil, iris, retina and the way photo-receptors (rods and cones) work.

What age/grade is this energy unit for? We covered this material in middle school. My daughter was in 6th grade (age 12) last year and my other daughter was in 9th grade (age 14). We covered the section on light this year when my daughter was in 7th grade (still age 12) and my other daughter was in 10th grade (age 15).

The 100+-page Energy Packet is $7.99. This is a pdf download .

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Tags: Electromagnetic Spectrum Energy Unit Physical Science

2 Responses

• Pingbacks 0

Where can i find the answer key?

Hi Michael,

All the answers are provided in our packets. The student notebook pages (with fill-in-the-blanks) are followed by full-text pages with the answers. I usually printed out the student (fill-in-the-blank) notebook page/s for my kids and then printed a full-text version for myself. We would then go over the material together. The answers on the full-text pages are not highlighted in case people want to simply have their student/s read the information rather than taking notes.

Answers to the worksheet pages also follow directly after the student worksheets. Those pages are usually labeled “ANSWERS” in the top right hand corner.

I hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions! Kind regards, Liesl

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Physics library

Course: physics library   >   unit 14.

• Light: Electromagnetic waves, the electromagnetic spectrum and photons

Electromagnetic waves and the electromagnetic spectrum

• Polarization of light, linear and circular

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The electromagnetic spectrum unit.

Grade Levels

Waves, Light

Lesson Plans / Activities

This unit calls for students to build simple spectroscopes to study visible light. Lesson plans in this unit include Simple Spectroscope; Project Visible Spectra; Cereal Box Spectroscope; Red Shift, Blue Shift; Wavelength and Energy; and Resonating Atmosphere. Reproducible student sheets are included. The Electromagnetic Spectrum Unit  [473KB PDF file] This unit of study is part of the Space-Based Astronomy Educator Guide .

FREE K-12 standards-aligned STEM

curriculum for educators everywhere!

Find more at TeachEngineering.org .

• TeachEngineering
• Visible Light and the Electromagnetic Spectrum

Lesson Visible Light and the Electromagnetic Spectrum

Grade Level: 4 (3-5)

Time Required: 15 minutes

Lesson Dependency: None

Subject Areas: Physical Science

NGSS Performance Expectations:

• Print lesson and its associated curriculum

Curriculum in this Unit Units serve as guides to a particular content or subject area. Nested under units are lessons (in purple) and hands-on activities (in blue). Note that not all lessons and activities will exist under a unit, and instead may exist as "standalone" curriculum.

• Make Some Waves
• Simon Says Big Amplitude, Small Wavelength!
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Engineers use many types of electromagnetic waves. Gamma radiation is emitted by fuel rods in nuclear power plants, x-rays are used to see inside our bodies, ultraviolet light can be used to sanitize things, microwaves are used to cook, and radio waves allow us to communicate over large distances.

After this lesson, students should be able to:

• Explain that light can be considered an electromagnetic wave.
• Give two examples of how engineers use electromagnetic waves.
• Explain that we can only see a small portion of all electromagnetic waves.

Educational Standards Each TeachEngineering lesson or activity is correlated to one or more K-12 science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) educational standards. All 100,000+ K-12 STEM standards covered in TeachEngineering are collected, maintained and packaged by the Achievement Standards Network (ASN) , a project of D2L (www.achievementstandards.org). In the ASN, standards are hierarchically structured: first by source; e.g. , by state; within source by type; e.g. , science or mathematics; within type by subtype, then by grade, etc .

Ngss: next generation science standards - science, international technology and engineering educators association - technology.

View aligned curriculum

Do you agree with this alignment? Thanks for your feedback!

State Standards

Colorado - science.

This lesson follows Lessons 1-6 of the Sound and Light Unit.

*Note: These concepts might be very difficult to visualize; if possible, create transparencies of the lesson figures for students to look at during class discussions.

Let's think about our brave adventurers for a minute – who remembers what Angie and Harmon need to do next to find the treasure? That's right – they want to use lights underwater to find the sunken treasure ship. But first, they need to learn something about light waves so that they can choose the right kind of lights to use in their exploration.

When we learned about sound, we discovered that sound travels in waves. Light can also be thought of as a wave – light is a form of an electromagnetic wave . That's a big word, so let's write it on the board.

An electromagnetic wave is a type of wave that can travel through empty space... Yes, you heard correctly, empty space. Unlike sound waves, which need "something" to travel through (for example, water or air), electromagnetic waves are able to travel through "emptiness" or a vacuum.

This picture (show Electromagnetic Transparency #1– in the Attachments section) shows different kinds of electromagnetic waves. Engineers use electromagnetic waves for many different purposes. Gamma rays (nuclear power plant radiation), x-rays, light, microwaves, and radio waves (including cell phone waves) are all electromagnetic waves. What makes all these waves different from each other are their wavelengths and frequencies.

Who would like to remind the class what frequency is? That's right! The frequency of a wave is the number of times a crest occurs each second. Some waves have really big — or even really small — frequencies. If a wave has a higher frequency (many waves in a certain amount of time), it has more energy. And, if a wave has a smaller frequency (fewer waves in a certain amount of time), it has less energy.

Let's look at another picture (show Electromagnetic Transparency #2) to see if we can figure out which waves have the most energy. Which waves do you think are the most powerful? That's right! gamma waves have very high frequencies and, consequently, have a lot of energy. This extreme amount of energy is one reason why gamma waves are very dangerous if improperly used.

Have any of you ever had an x-ray? X-rays are not as strong as gamma rays, but they are still very powerful. A sunburn? Have any of you ever burned your skin when out in the hot sun (or overcast as well) too long? Sunburns come from ultraviolet light, which we cannot see, but can still burn our skin. Radio waves and microwaves have a smaller frequency, so they are much less powerful than x-rays or ultraviolet light. Waves are fascinating, that's for sure!

We know that waves with high frequencies have a lot of energy. And, the waves that have smaller frequencies have less energy — think of these wave types as energetic waves that move very fast and lazy waves that move slow. Did you know that we cannot see most electromagnetic waves? The small section of the spectrum with the waves that we can see is called the visible spectrum , and the wavelengths that we can see allow us to see the colors of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet — the colors of the rainbow! We do not usually think of visible light (the visible spectrum) as being an electromagnetic wave, but it is. Figure 2 shows where visible light falls on the electromagnetic spectrum.

Engineers use electromagnetic waves in all sorts of different inventions. We cannot see most electromagnetic waves, but you do observe these waves every day when you see visible light. Today we are going to build a fascinating invention so that we can see the different colors that are a part of visible light. Following the lesson, students can use the associated activity Building a Fancy Spectrograph to build their own device from simple materials to observe the spectra of different light sources! Then students can follow-up with the associated activity The Visual Spectrum to compare their findings between different light sources. Let's get started!

Lesson Background and Concepts for Teachers

A wave is a change (a variation) that travels through a substance (or medium). You can often see the change, such as the increased height of a traveling ocean, but what is important to understand is that the medium itself does not travel with the wave.

Ripples in a pond are good examples of waves. If no wind, a pond is smooth until a rock is thrown in and disturbs the water. Then ripples, "disturbances" in the pond, travel to the edges. The medium in this case is the water, through which the ripples travel. The water is not actually moving, but the waves (ripples) are.

Waves move in two ways: longitudinally and transversely . Transverse waves oscillate (move back and forth) in a direction perpendicular to their motion. Our pond ripples, for instance, oscillate up and down but move horizontally towards the edge of the pond. Because the ripples oscillate perpendicular to their horizontal motion towards the edge, they can be classified as transverse waves.

An electromagnetic wave is a transverse wave that can travel through empty space or a vacuum. Literally, electromagnetic waves are able to travel through "emptiness," unlike sound waves, which need "something" to travel through (for example, water or air). Electromagnetic waves have two parts to them: electric and magnetic. Both of these parts are considered transverse waves.

Waves with high frequencies have a lot of energy, and, waves with smaller frequencies have less energy. Most electromagnetic waves are not visible. However, a small section of the spectrum includes waves that we can see — it is called the visible spectrum (see Figure 3). These visible wavelengths allow us to see the colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. We do not usually think of visible light (the visible spectrum) as being an electromagnetic wave, but it is.

The electromagnetic spectrum can be considered from another perspective — in nanometers — specifically from 400 nm to 700 nm. Each color in this visual range has a different wavelength. Red has the longest wavelength (700 nm) and violet has the shortest wavelength (400 nm). Green occurs near the middle at about 550 nm. A prism divides light into the wavelengths that make it up. Seen together, color waves make white light. White light is especially dramatic because many different colors of the visual spectrum can combine to make white light. Two "white" light sources can have very different spectral compositions. When white light shines on a prism, the colors in white light separate from each other because they refract at different angles depending on their wavelength (see Figure 4). Water droplets in the air refract sunlight to create rainbows.

Light can be absorbed, reflected (or diffused) and refracted. Some materials can affect how light bends in more than one way, refracting and reflecting at the same time. Objects made of more than one substance usually have different reflective, refractive and absorptive properties.

Light reflects at a predictable angle: the angle of the light that strikes a surface equals the angle of the light that bounces off the surface. Rough surfaces scatter — or diffuse — light, which can cause glare, blur an image or prevent us from seeing an image.

Light changes speed and direction — refracts — when it moves from one transparent medium to another. The refractive property of transparent materials can be used to make lenses that focus light (for example, cameras, eyeglasses, telescopes).

Since visible light is the part of the electromagnetic spectrum that our eyes can see (remember, we cannot see most electromagnetic waves), our whole world is oriented around it and the colors that are produced through this visible spectrum. Understanding these visible electromagnetic waves has enabled engineers to develop many instruments that can see farther and more clearly than our eyes. That is why we use satellites to look at the Earth, and telescopes to look at the Sky!

• Building a Fancy Spectrograph - Students create and decorate their own spectrographs using simple materials and holographic diffraction gratings. A holographic diffraction grating acts like a prism, showing the visual components of light. After building the spectrographs, students observe the spectra of different light sources as homework.
• The Visual Spectrum - Students make simple spectroscopes (prisms) to look at different light sources. Using the spectroscopes, students see differing spectral distributions of different light sources

You all did a great job today of being good listeners and thinking hard about light! We learned that light can be thought of as a wave, just as sound is a wave. We also learned that our eyes can only see some wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation. What do we call the set of wavelengths that our eyes can see ? That's right---the visible spectrum. We also discovered that engineers use many different electromagnetic waves for many different applications. In our next lesson, we are going to learn about rainbows, and continue to follow the adventures of Angie and Harmon. What do you think will happen to them next?

electromagnetic wave: A transverse wave with electric and magnetic parts that travels at 300,000 km/sec. Examples are gamma waves, x-rays, light waves, microwaves, and radio waves.

visual spectrum: The range of the electromagnetic spectrum — between 400 nm and 700 nm — that our eyes can see.

Pre-Lesson Assessment

Discussion Question : Turn on a radio, and tune it to a station. Next turn on a lamp. Ask the students what the two devices (radio and lamp) have in common. (Answer: They both use electromagnetic waves.) Tell students that today we are going to learn about a few different types of electromagnetic waves.

Post-Introduction Assessment

Fill in the Table : On the left side of the classroom board, list the types of electromagnetic waves. Then work with the students to fill in the right side with ways that engineers use each type of wave. Examples of waves and their uses are:

• Gamma waves – emitted by nuclear power plants
• X-rays – used for healthcare
• Light waves – for seeing visible light
• Microwaves – for cooking
• Radio waves – for communication

Lesson Summary Assessment

What I Learned Today : At lesson end, give students time to think about what they learned. Invite a few students to volunteer something new that they learned through the lesson. (If students do not mention it, remind them that they learned that visible light is an electromagnetic wave and the only electromagnetic wave we can see; also it is only a small portion of the overall spectrum of electromagnetic waves.)

Lesson Extension Activities

Bring in small prisms for students to experiment with and explore how they break light into different wavelengths/colors.

Have students create an electromagnetic wave journal of different electromagnetic waves they experience throughout the week (for example, microwaving food, seeing a rainbow, listening to the radio, etc.).

Invite an engineer to visit the class and talk about how s/he uses electromagnetic waves in his/her research or work.

Students learn the basics of the electromagnetic spectrum and how various types of electromagnetic waves are related in terms of wavelength and energy. In addition, they are introduced to the various types of waves that make up the electromagnetic spectrum including, radio waves, ultraviolet waves, ...

Students are introduced to the correct technical vocabulary for lighting, which is different than layperson's terms. They learn about lamp (light bulb) technology and how to identify the various types of lighting in their spaces. They are also introduced to lighting controls as a means for saving en...

Students learn about the science and math that explain light behavior, which engineers have exploited to create sunglasses. They examine tinted and polarized lenses, learn about light polarization, transmission, reflection, intensity, attenuation, and how different mediums reduce the intensities of ...

Filtering is the process of removing or separating the unwanted part of a mixture. In signal processing, filtering is specifically used to remove or extract part of a signal, and this can be accomplished using an analog circuit or a digital device (such as a computer). In this lesson, students learn...

Dunbar, Brian. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Langley Research Center, Multimedia, April 13, 2007. Accessed June 1, 2007. http://www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/images/content/114284main_EM_Spectrum500.jpg

Ferebee, Michelle T. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Atmospheric Sciences Data Center, April 10, 2006. Accessed April 17, 2012. http://science-edu.larc.nasa.gov/EDDOCS/images/Erb/wavelength_figure.jpg

Sample, Sharon. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Science@NASA, Science Fun, November 22, 2004. Accessed June 7, 2007. http://science.hq.nasa.gov/kids/imagers/ems/waves3.html

Contributors

Supporting program, acknowledgements.

The contents of these digital library curricula were developed by the Integrated Teaching and Learning Program under National Science Foundation GK-12 grant no. 0338326. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policies of the National Science Foundation, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government. 

Last modified: July 3, 2019

The Electromagnetic Spectrum and Waves -- Notes and Worksheet Set

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Teach your students about The Electromagnetic Spectrum and Waves using this great, detailed set of worksheets !

This worksheet set guides students through the following topics:

• Parts of a Wave (Wavelength, Amplitude, Crest, Trough)
• Identifying Long and Short Wavelength
• Identifying High and Low Frequency
• The Electromagnetic Spectrum
• Types of Radiation (Radio, Microwave, Infrared, Visible Light, Ultraviolet, X-Ray, Gamma Ray)
• Calculating Wavelength and Frequency Using the Wavelength Equation
• Calculating Energy and Frequency Using the Planck’s Equation (and Planck’s Constant)

This set includes eight (8) pages of worksheets :

• Two (2) full pages of examples and questions on Waves
• Two (2) full pages of examples and questions on The Electromagnetic Spectrum
• Two (2) full pages of examples and questions on Using Wave Equations
• Two (2) full pages of questions on Wave Calculations
• A complete ANSWER KEY (pictured above)

Perfect for students of all levels, and a perfect lesson for your Atomic Theory unit!

Questions & Answers

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Launch Interactive

Introduction to the Electromagnetic Spectrum

What is Electromagnetic energy?

Electromagnetic energy travels in waves and spans a broad spectrum from very long radio waves to very short gamma rays. The human eye can only detect only a small portion of this spectrum called visible light. A radio detects a different portion of the spectrum, and an x-ray machine uses yet another portion. NASA's scientific instruments use the full range of the electromagnetic spectrum to study the Earth, the solar system, and the universe beyond.

When you tune your radio, watch TV, send a text message, or pop popcorn in a microwave oven, you are using electromagnetic energy. You depend on this energy every hour of every day. Without it, the world you know could not exist.

Our Protective Atmosphere

Our Sun is a source of energy across the full spectrum, and its electromagnetic radiation bombards our atmosphere constantly. However, the Earth's atmosphere protects us from exposure to a range of higher energy waves that can be harmful to life. Gamma rays, x-rays, and some ultraviolet waves are "ionizing," meaning these waves have such a high energy that they can knock electrons out of atoms. Exposure to these high-energy waves can alter atoms and molecules and cause damage to cells in organic matter. These changes to cells can sometimes be helpful, as when radiation is used to kill cancer cells, and other times not, as when we get sunburned.

Atmospheric Windows

Electromagnetic radiation is reflected or absorbed mainly by several gases in the Earth's atmosphere, among the most important being water vapor, carbon dioxide, and ozone. Some radiation, such as visible light, largely passes (is transmitted) through the atmosphere. These regions of the spectrum with wavelengths that can pass through the atmosphere are referred to as "atmospheric windows." Some microwaves can even pass through clouds, which make them the best wavelength for transmitting satellite communication signals.

While our atmosphere is essential to protecting life on Earth and keeping the planet habitable, it is not very helpful when it comes to studying sources of high-energy radiation in space. Instruments have to be positioned above Earth's energy-absorbing atmosphere to "see" higher energy and even some lower energy light sources such as quasars.

Next: Anatomy of an Electromagnetic Wave

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Science Mission Directorate. (2010). Introduction to the Electromagnetic Spectrum. Retrieved [insert date - e.g. August 10, 2016] , from NASA Science website: http://science.nasa.gov/ems/01_intro

Science Mission Directorate. "Introduction to the Electromagnetic Spectrum" NASA Science . 2010. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. [insert date - e.g. 10 Aug. 2016] http://science.nasa.gov/ems/01_intro

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An introduction to the Electromagnetic Spectrum

Subject: Physics

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

18 May 2018

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Many thanks for sharing your resources. They are really useful when teaching this topic.

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Nice resource, used with my ELC Year 10 class.

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This blog will walk you through each of the steps and activities in the Electromagnetic Spectrum 5E Lesson Plan.

At the beginning of the lesson, the class will discuss the objectives and some of the relevant vocabulary using the included objective statements and word wall cards.

Afterwards, the engagement activity will continue with a Think-Pair-Share brainstorm activity. Students will look at a PDF with a number of quotes from astronomers. Students will then partner up to read and then summarize each quote. Finally, students will then answer questions on a sheet of paper. Once the teacher has done all this, they'll help to clear any up misconceptions their students may still have. A common but major misconception, for is example, is that there's more than one star within our solar system, or that isn't possible to determine the composition of far away stars.

Estimated Class Time for the Engagement: 20-30 minutes

EXPLORATION

With nine stations in total, you can introduce the electromagnetic spectrum to your middle school students in a variety of ways! Four of these stations are considered input stations where students will learn new information about the electromagnetic spectrum, and four of the stations are output stations where students will be demonstrating their mastery of the lesson's material. A bonus station offers challenges for your early finishers and independent learners. You can read more about how I set up the station labs here .

At this station, students will be watching a five-minute video about the electromagnetic spectrum. The video will explain to students how the spectrum works and the many different waves that we experience every single day. Students will then answer three questions related to the video and record their answers on their lab station sheet.

This station will provide students with a one-page reading about the electromagnetic spectrum. Afterwards, students will be asked four questions about the reading about topics including vocabulary, alternate titles, fill in the blanks, and what kinds of waves eyes detect.

Explore It!

Students will be working in pairs to identify the full spectrum of two unknown stars. Students will identify the elements that make up each star and record their findings on their lab sheet.

Research It!

The research station will allow students to go online and watch an interactive presentation about the electromagnetic spectrum. Students will then be asked to answer two questions based on what they learned.

Organize It!

The Organize It station allows your students to use a manipulative to ensure their understanding of the electromagnetic spectrum. Students will use cards to match descriptions of wavelengths to correctly identify the wavelength.

Illustrate It!

Your visual students will love this station. Students will be sketching an electromagnetic spectrum and labeling the waves in the correct spots.

Students who can answer open-ended questions about the lab truly understand the concepts that are being taught.  At this station the students will be answering three questions, like describing low and high-frequency wavelengths, defining vocabulary in their own words, describing how scientists use the electromagnetic spectrum to find properties of distant stars.

The Assess It station is where students will go to prove mastery over the concepts they learned in the lab.  The questions are set up in a standardized format with multiple choice answers.  Some questions will ask students to compare wavelengths, frequencies, and why scientists use them.

Challenge It! - Bonus Station

Early finishers and advanced students will love the extension activities in this station. Four activity choices offer them ways to expand their learning through mini-games and mini-projects.

Estimated Class Time for the Exploration: One or two 45-minute class periods

EXPLANATION

The explanation activities will become much more engaging for your class once they’ve completed the exploration station lab. During the explanation piece of the lesson, the teacher will be clearing up any misconceptions their students may have about the electromagnetic spectrum with a variety of materials. These materials include on-level and modified versions of the interactive presentation (may be used individually or projected), anchor charts, and paper or digital interactive notebook activities. If you have students that need modified notes, the 5E lessons come equipped to help give every student access to the lesson.

Interactive notebook samples: Above-left is a digital INB activity slide; above-right is an example of the paper INB activities.

Estimated Class Time for the Exploration: Two or three 45-minute class periods

ELABORATION

The elaboration section of the 5E method of instruction gives students choices that allow them to prove they’ve mastered the concepts behind the lesson. When students are given a choice, they’re much more enthusiastic and invested in the project than they are when their teachers choose their projects for them. There are a total of nine choices to demonstrate understanding of electromagnetic waves. A separate set of choices that offer more teacher support are also available for students that need them. Rubrics guide students to doing their best work and assist in grading.

Estimated Class Time for the Elaboration: Two or three 45-minute class periods (can also be used as an at-home project)

The final piece of the 5E model is to evaluate your students' comprehension. Included in every 5E lesson is a homework assignment, assessment, and modified assessment. Research has shown that homework needs to be meaningful and applicable to real-world activities in order to be effective. When possible, I like to give open-ended assessments to truly gauge the student’s comprehension.

Estimated Class Time for the Elaboration: One 45-minute class period

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The Electromagnetic Spectrum (Worksheet)

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On a frequency scale, the electromagnetic spectrum extends from zero to infinity. Radiation in different regions is produced and detected in different ways and has different applications. If you are familiar with these different properties and characteristics, you will be able to assess safety issues, understand the limitations and opportunities in various applications, and identify new applications.

Information can be found on the Internet as well as in library books on spectroscopy.

Each team should prepare a report to the class on one region of the electromagnetic spectrum from the following table. This report should identify the items below.# An object about the size of one wavelength of this radiation.

• A laboratory source of the radiation.
• A method for obtaining tunable monochromatic radiation.
• A device that can detect the radiation.
• Effect on a molecule when it absorbs the radiation.
• Documented effects of the radiation on a human body.
• How the radiation is being used in modern research.

Table 1 Regions of the Electromagnetic Spectrum

Table 9 The Greek Alphabet

Table 5 Some Units Commonly Used in Quantum Chemistry

Table 8 Physical Constants

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Waves & The Electromagnetic Spectrum

• cpwsheet17a.doc - 91 kB

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