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The Electromagnetic Spectrum. How would you describe the color of light that comes from the Sun?. Visible light can be broken into component wavelengths by using a prism. VISIBLE LIGHT. Sun - the main source of energy on Earth Energy - the ability to do work
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How would you describe the color of light that comes from the Sun?
Visible light can be broken into component wavelengths by using a prism VISIBLE LIGHT
Sun - the main source of energy on Earth • Energy - the ability to do work • Electromagnetic Energy - transverse waves that transmit energy through space Waves animation
Electromagnetic Spectrum - the entire range of electromagnetic wavelengths • All wavelengths travel through space at 3.0 x 108 m/s (speed of light)
Wavelength - the distance between two successive crests or troughs Long wavelength Short wavelength Waves animation
Frequency - the number of waves that pass a certain point in a given period of time • Frequency depends on wavelength - the longer the wavelength, the lower the frequency 1 minute
Microwaves This Doppler-radar image seen on TV weather news uses microwaves for local weather forecasting. Shown here is Hurricane Claudette's eye-wall making landfall. Credit: NOAA
Infrared Waves A typical television remote control uses infrared energy at a wavelength around 940 nanometers. While you cannot "see" the light emitting from a remote, some digital and cell phone cameras are sensitive to that wavelength of radiation. Try it out! Most of the new stars cannot be seen in the visible-light image (left) because dense gas clouds block their light. However, when the pillar is viewed using the infrared portion of the spectrum (right), it practically disappears, revealing the baby stars behind the column of gas and dust.
INFRARED FILM Color Infrared film can record near-infrared energy and can help scientists study plant diseases where there is a change in pigment and cell structure.
Ultraviolet Waves Bees, along with some birds, reptiles and other insects, can see near-ultraviolet light reflecting off of plants. Bug zappers attract insects with ultraviolet light to lure them to the trap.
X-ray Waves
Gamma rays also stream from stars, supernovas, pulsars, and black hole accretion disks to wash our sky with gamma-ray light. NASA's Swift satellite recorded the gamma-ray blast caused by a black hole being born 12.8 billion light years away (below). This object is among the most distant objects ever detected.
Radiowave Microwave Infrared Ultraviolet Visible X-Ray
Some wavelengths of electromagnetic energy can travel through our atmosphere, and others cannot.