The Electromagnetic Spectrum What It Is and How it Helps Us Judge Distances in Space Note to Teachers: Please feel free to use only what you need! This PowerPoint is meant to be an additional tool, able to be used at any time to address the topics listed above. It does not have to be used with the lesson plan created, and it is not meant to be taught in its entirety during a class session. It can be a valuable tool for note taking or explanation purposes at the appropriate times. Feel free to change it to fit your needs!! Copyright 2010. PEER.tamu.edu

This is a picture of the electromagnetic spectrum with useful information on the sides. This was found online when searching for images of electromagnetic spectrum. You can make it larger if necessary.

The Electromagnetic Spectrum: Waves found on the electromagnetic spectrum need NO MEDIUM. They are TRANSVERSE waves that travel through EMPTY SPACE!! They travel as VIBRATIONS in ELECTRICAL and MAGNETIC FIELDS Speed of electromagnetic waves = 300,000,000 meters/second (Takes LIGHT 8 minutes to travel from Sun to Earth at this speed!!)

How the EM Spectrum Helps Us Judge Distances in Space: Distances are measured in Light Years 1 light year is how far light travels through space in 1 year. Because it takes so long for light to travel through space, the light arriving at us would have actually left the object many years ago. Looking at a far-away star is like looking back in time!!!

How the EM Spectrum Helps Us Judge Distances in Space: Electromagnetic radiation is arranged on the spectrum from longest to shortest wavelength, from left to right. The Longer the wavelength the Lower the frequency The sHorter the wavelength the Higher the frequency. Look at the capitol letters, they are there as hints to help remember!! Let’s look at a picture on the next slide

This is one picture of the EM Spectrum This is one picture of the EM Spectrum. Notice the Wavelength and Frequency of the Waves. What do you see?

How the EM Spectrum Helps us Judge Distances in Space: But still, how does this help us see objects in space? Well… Because different types of radiation waves travel through our atmosphere at different frequencies and wavelengths, scientists can determine where an object is located by the type of radiation wave emitting through our atmosphere!!

Here is another example of the EM Spectrum Here is another example of the EM Spectrum. This picture gives you real world examples to compare the size of the waves to.

Radio Waves and Microwaves Radio waves have the Longest wavelengths and Lowest Frequencies of all the electromagnetic waves. A radio picks up radio waves through an antenna and converts it to sound waves.

So cool! Or hot, I should say!! Microwaves Microwaves are a type of radio wave. They have the shortest wavelength and the highest frequency of the radio waves. Microwave ovens transfer energy to the water in the food causing them to vibrate which in turn transfers energy in the form of heat to the food. Microwaves are also used by cell phones and pagers! So cool! Or hot, I should say!!

Infrared Rays Shorter wavelengths and higher frequency than microwaves. You can feel the longest ones as warmth on your skin! Heat Lamps give off infrared waves and so do living things!! Pictures called Thermograms show regions of different body temperatures! This picture shows the infrared radiation given off by the elephant.

Visible Light This is the light we see by everyday. It has shorter wavelengths and a higher frequency than infrared rays. This means it is to the right of infrared waves on the electromagnetic spectrum. Remember ROYGBIV, the colors of the rainbow!!

Ultraviolet Rays These have shorter wavelengths still and an even higher frequency than visible light. They carry more energy than visible light. Used to kill bacteria and sterilize equipment! Causes skin to produce vitamin D, good for teeth and bones!! But, too much can cause SKIN CANCER!!! USE SUNSCREEN!!!! Used to treat jaundice in some newborn babies http://www.bing.com/health/article/medlineplus-1000195737/Jaundice?q=jaundice Jaundice is caused by an build up of bilirubin. Bilirubin is a yellow chemical in hemoglobin, the substance that carries oxygen in your red blood cells. As red blood cells break down, your body builds new cells to replace them. The old ones are processed by the liver. If the liver cannot handle the blood cells as they break down, bilirubin builds up in the body and your skin may look yellow. Many healthy babies have some jaundice during the first week of life. It usually goes away. However, jaundice can happen at any age and may be a sign of a problem. Jaundice can happen for many reasons, such as: Blood diseases Genetic syndromes Liver diseases, such as hepatitis or cirrhosis Blockage of bile ducts Infections Medicines

X-RAYS Shorter wavelength and higher frequency than UV-rays Great amounts of energy; can penetrate through most matter! Bones and teeth absorb x-rays; that is how we see them in the x-ray picture. Too much can cause cancer!!

Gamma Rays Shortest wavelength and highest frequency! Carry greatest amount of energy and can penetrate through the most matter!! Used in radiation treatment to kill cancer cells. Very harmful if not used correctly!!!

Using the EM spectrum to view Space!!! Animation – View a Galaxy at different wavelengths! http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/visualizations/es2801/es2801page01.cfm

Use this link to complete the web-quest activity for electromagnetic waves: http://zunal.com/process.php?w=159012 Go to my webpage for a copy of the worksheet.