The Electromagnetic Spectrum

GAMMA RAY:
Gamma Radiation cannot be seen or felt, it mostly passes through skin and tissue but some of it is absorbed by cells. Gamma waves have a very high frequency. We use Gamma Radiation for to sterilise surgical instruments and to kill harmful bacteria in food. In general, exposure to Gamma Radiation is dangerous as it can make cells cancerous.

X-RAYS:
X-Rays are like Gamma Rays as they cannot be seen or felt. X-Rays mostly pass through skin and soft tissue but they dont easily pass through bone or metal. This makes them suitable for medical imaging, for checking for metal components and welds for cracks or other damage.

ULTRAVIOLET:
Ultraviolet radiation is found naturally in sunlight. We cannot see or feel it, but our skin responds to it by turning darker. Ultraviolet radiation is used in sun beds, security pens and

in fluorescent lights. Coatings inside the tube or bulb absorb the ultraviolet light and re-emit it as visible light.

VISIBLE LIGHT:
All the light we can see fits in here. To remember the colours in order of wavelength think of a rainbow. Violet has the shortest and red has the longest wavelengths in the visible spectrum. If we keep stretching the wavelength of visible red light we get to infrared.

INFRARED:
Infrared is an invisible radiation. Infrared is absorbed by the skin and we feel it as heat. It is used in heaters, grills and toasters. It is also used for television remote controls and in optical fibre communications.

MICROWAVES:
Microwave radiation has even longer wavelengths. Water in food can absorb microwave radiation, which is how food heats up in a microwave oven. Microwave radiation is also used to transmit mobile phone signals. Microwave transmitters and receivers on buildings and masts communicate with the mobile telephones in their range.

RADIO WAVES:
Radio waves have the longest wavelengths of all, which means they have the lowest frequencies too. They are used to transmit television and radio programmes. Some wavelengths of radio waves are diffracted by the ground, which means they can be received behind hills, and some radio transmissions can be reflected off a layer of the atmosphere called the ionosphere. This means radio signals can be sent around the world without using satellites.