P13 - Electromagnetic Waves✔️ Flashcards
(38 cards)
Why do electromagnetic waves have different effects?
Electromagnetic waves do not transfer matter - the energy they transfer depends on the wavelength of the waves this is why waves of different wavelengths have different effects
What speed do electromagnetic waves travel at?
300 million m/s through space or in a vacuum
Equation for wave speed?
Wave speed = frequency x wavelength
Electromagnetic waves in order of increasing frequency and decreasing wavelength?
Radiowaves - microwaves - infrared radiation - visible light - unltraviolet waves - x rays and gamma rays
Why is light from ordinary lamps and from the sun called white light?
Because it contains all the colours of the visible spectrum in it
Features of infrared radiation?
-hotter an object more infrared radiation is emmited
-infrared radiation is absorbed by your skin , it can damage,burn or kill skin cells
3 uses of infared radiation?
-infrared scanners - used in medicine to detect unhealthy tissues
-see people and animials in the dark
-heat up obects quickly - electric heaters emit infared which warms rooms quick
3 features of microwaves?
-Shorter wavelength then radio waves
-used for communications for example satellite TV because they pass through the atmosphere and reach satelites above earth
-heating up food
Why are microwaves used to heat up food?
Microwave ovens heat food faster because microwaves can penetrate into food and are absorbed by the water molecules in the food
Fequency and fetaures of radiowaves?
frequencies range from about 300,000 Hz to 3000 million Hz and are used to carry tv and mobile phone signals
Why can radio and microwaves be hazardous?
They penetrate peoples bodies and can heat the internal parts of the body causing damage
Define carrier waves?
Waves used to carry any type of signal they could be radiowaves,microwavess or visible light - they do this by varying their amplitude
A shorter wavelength results in …?
-The wave carrying more information
-shorter the waves range (increasing absorption by the atmosphere)
-the less the waves spread out
3 uses of microwaves?
-satelite phone
-tv links
-satelite TV broadcasting
Why are microwaves used for satelite TV braodcasting?
Microwaves can travel between satelites in space and the ground and they spread out less than radio waves so the signal doesn’t weaken as much
Uses of radiowaves less than about 1 metre?
-TV braodcasting from TV masts - because they can carry more infromation than longer radiowaves
Uses of radiowaves about 1 to 100 metres?
-used by local radiostations and for emergency services because the range is limited to the area round the trasmitter
Uses of radiowaves greater than 100 metre?
Used by national and international radio stations because they have much longer range than shorter wavelength radio waves
How can mobile phones radiowaves be dangrous?
If the phone is very close to the your head , some scientists think the radiation might affect the brain especialy in children because they have thinner skulls then adults
What are optical fibres?
Very thin transparent fibres that are used to transmit communication signals by light and infarred radiation
Benefits of optical wires?
-carry much more information as light has a much shorter wavelength than radio waves and so can carry more impulses of waves
-optical fibres are more secure because the signals stay in the fibre
Issues with sunbeds and UV light?
Ultraviolet waves are harmful to your skin - and to much UV from the sun or from sunbeds can cause sunburn and skin cancer
Why is lead used to stop x-rays and gamma rays?
Because x-rays and gamma rays both travel straight into substances and can pass through them if the substance is not dense and thick enough so lead is often used
Similar properties between x-rays and gamma rays?
-are at the short-wavelength end of the electromagnetic spectrum
-carry more energy per second than longer-wavelength electromagnetic waves