Question

State the various electromagnetic waves and explain its application in our daily lives.

Answer 1

ANS. Electromagnetic waves are waves that can travel through a vacuum, like in space. This is possible because they're not vibrations in an actual material; they're fluctuations in electric and magnetic fields. Examples of electromagnetic waves include radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, x-rays, and gamma rays. Radio waves, television waves, and microwaves are all types of electromagnetic waves. They only differ from each other in wavelength. Wavelength is the distance between one wave crest to the next.

Every part of the electromagnetic spectrum has multiple applications in our everyday lives, and many of those applications involve technology.

Radio waves are used for communications - that's why the thing in your car is called a radio. But they're not just for FM and AM radio. They're also used to broadcast television signals, and they're how mobile phones work - your voice is sent through radio signals. Radio waves are also used for radar, which is why both words start with the same three letters. Radar is extremely important in military operations and can also be used in speed cameras and speed guns.

Microwaves have probably the most obvious application: in a microwave. Microwaves can be used to heat and cook your food. Since microwaves aren't that different from radio waves, they've also been used for communications, especially for extending TV signals to larger distances.

Infrared waves are what comes out of remote controls. Infrared is also a type of wave that transmits a lot of heat. When you put your hand near to, but not touching, something and it feels warm, it's because of infrared waves coming out of it. All hot objects produce infrared. In fact, you're producing infrared waves right now. Infrared waves can also be used to create heat-sensitive and night-vision cameras.

Ultraviolet waves have their uses too, but they're also a bit of a pain. That's because the sun produces a lot of ultraviolet and is a common cause of skin cancer. When powerful enough, UV can damage your skin. Getting a sun tan might be a fun-sounding use of UV, but because of the risks, it's a bad idea. More positive uses include the fact that UV can sterilize and disinfect medical instruments (or anything else, for that matter), killing bacteria and viruses. And ,UV also lights up fluorescent materials; highlighter pens are brighter and more useful because of this effect. This property can be used to check if money is real or counterfeit by hiding things in it that light up under UV.

X-rays are electromagnetic waves that can be used in aptly named x-ray machines to see inside your body and diagnose various diseases. They can also be used to kill cancer cells.

Gamma-rays:-Gamma-rays have the smallest wavelengths and the most energy of any other wave in the electromagnetic spectrum. These waves are generated by radioactive atoms and in nuclear explosions. Gamma-rays can kill living cells, a fact which medicine uses to its advantage, using gamma-rays to kill cancerous cells.