TheElectromagneticSpectrum

Theelectromagneticspectrumisacontinuumofallelectromagneticwavesarrangedaccordingtofrequencyand
wavelength.Thesun,earth,andotherbodiesradiateelectromagneticenergyofvaryingwavelengths.
Electromagneticenergypassesthroughspaceatthespeedoflightintheformofsinusoidalwaves.The
wavelengthisthedistancefromwavecresttowavecrest(seefigurebelow).

Lightisaparticulartypeofelectromagneticradiationthatcanbeseenandsensedbythehumaneye,butthis
energyexistsatawiderangeofwavelengths.Themicronisthebasicunitformeasuringthewavelengthof
electomagneticwaves.Thespectrumofwavesisdividedintosectionsbasedonwavelength.Theshortestwaves
aregammarays,whichhavewavelengthsof10e6micronsorless.Thelongestwavesareradiowaves,which
havewavelengthsofmanykilometers.Therangeofvisibleconsistsofthenarrowportionofthespectrum,from
0.4microns(blue)to0.7microns(red).

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