1. Noadswood Science, 2011

2.  To understand the hazards caused by some wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum Monday, May 04, 2015

3.  Complete the electromagnetic spectrum worksheet

5.  Waves transfer energy without transferring mater, and the amount of energy transferred varies with the wave  EM radiation can be absorbed, reflected or transmitted: - ◦ Absorbed – the energy of the wave is transferred to the matter ◦ Reflected – the wave bounces back ◦ Transmitted – the wave passes through a substance  The different wavelengths of EM radiation interact differently with matter

6.  Some radiations are more harmful than others – when EM radiation enters living tissue it is often harmless, but some EM radiation can cause serious problems  What effect radiation has depends on its wavelength and the size of the dose

7.  EM radiation such as radio waves pass through soft tissue without being absorbed  EM radiation such as microwaves are absorbed and cause heating of the cells  Some EM radiation causes cancerous changes in living cells (UV radiation can cause skin cancer with some actually destroying cells (radiation sickness after a nuclear accident)

8.  Higher frequency EM radiation is usually more dangerous – this is because the energy of an EM wave if directly proportional to its frequency  Higher frequency waves such as X-rays and gamma rays have more energy, and it is the energy of the wave which causes the damage

9.  Some wavelengths of microwaves are absorbed by water molecules, heating them up (this could be a problem as your cells have a large amount of water in them)  Mobile phone networks use microwaves, however there is no conclusive proof if they do / do not cause problems  UV radiation can damage DNA in cells (fluorescent tubes emit UV radiation, requiring special coatings to absorb this unwanted UV radiation)  X-rays can cause mutations, leading to cancers

10.  Radiation can cause ionisation – the energy of the wave can bash into atoms, knocking electrons off them resulting in ions (charged)  The further radiation can penetrate before hitting an atom and getting stopped, the less damage it will do along the way (less ionising it is)

11.  Research the dangers of different wavelengths, and the precautions that must be taken  Pick one of the following areas: - ◦ Sun beds and too much Sun (UV radiation) ◦ Mobile phone networks (Microwaves) ◦ X-rays ◦ Gamma radiation from nuclear radiation, e.g. Chernobyl disaster  Identify what dangers the radiation can cause, do the dangers have scientific basis, and what precautions should be taken to avoid harm – make a poster / movie / PowerPoint