Uses of Electromagnetic Waves
This page explores the various applications of different types of electromagnetic waves, focusing on radio waves, microwaves, and infrared radiation.
Radio waves are primarily used for transmitting radio and terrestrial TV signals. They are received using an aerial and can travel long distances before being absorbed. Radio waves with longer wavelengths can diffract around obstacles like hills, making them ideal for long-distance communication.
Highlight: Radio waves can reflect off the ionosphere, a layer of charged particles in the atmosphere, allowing for very long-distance communication around the Earth.
Microwaves have multiple applications, including food heating and satellite communication. In microwave ovens, the waves are absorbed by water molecules in food, causing an increase in temperature.
Example: Communication with microwaves and satellites is possible because microwaves can pass through Earth's atmosphere without significant reflection or refraction.
Infrared radiation has several practical uses. It is emitted by electrical heaters and used in cooking ovens. How infrared waves heat objects is through easy absorption by the surface of objects, which increases their temperature.
Vocabulary: Diffraction - The bending of waves around obstacles or through openings.
Visible light is utilized in fiber optic communication. Optical fibers, which are thin strands of glass, can transmit pulses of light carrying information for telephone and cable TV signals.
Definition: Fiber optics - A technology that uses thin glass strands to transmit data as pulses of light.