Table of Contents
- 1 What happens to atoms when they are exposed to electromagnetic radiation?
- 2 What determines the arrangement of EM waves in the electromagnetic spectrum?
- 3 What does the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation represent?
- 4 Why do elements have different wavelengths?
- 5 What is the relationship between frequency and wavelength of radiation?
- 6 How does temperature affect the electromagnetic spectrum?
What happens to atoms when they are exposed to electromagnetic radiation?
The main effect radiation has on matter is its ability to ionize atoms to become ions, a phenomenon known as ionization, which is very similar to the photoelectric effect. Radioactive particles or electromagnetic waves with sufficient energy collide with electrons on the atom to knock electrons off the atom.
What is the relationship between the wavelength and the frequency of electromagnetic waves?
The shorter the wavelength, the higher the frequency. Hence, frequency and wavelength are inversely proportional to each other. Because all light waves move at the same speed in a vacuum, the number of wave crests passing at a given spot in one second is determined by the wavelength.
When atoms of an element are emitting a certain wavelength or color of light it means that?
The electrons in an atom can only occupy certain allowed energy levels. When an electron drops from a higher energy level to a lower one, the excess energy is emitted as a photon of light, with its wavelength dependent on the change in electron energy.
What determines the arrangement of EM waves in the electromagnetic spectrum?
The electromagnetic spectrum is a continuum of all electromagnetic waves arranged according to frequency and wavelength. The sun, earth, and other bodies radiate electromagnetic energy of varying wavelengths. The spectrum of waves is divided into sections based on wavelength.
How electromagnetic radiation affects matter when it is absorbed by matter?
The different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum have very different effects upon interaction with matter. If electromagnetic energy is absorbed, but cannot eject electrons from the atoms of the material, then it is classified as non-ionizing radiation, and will typically just heat the material.
How does an atom become ionised by radiation?
Ionizing radiation can remove electrons from the atoms, i.e. it can ionize atoms. Ionizing radiation is radiation with enough energy that to remove tightly bound electrons from the orbit of an atom, causing that atom to become charged or ionized.
What does the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation represent?
What does the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation represent? wavelength represents the lengths of the waves involved in energy transmission (length from one crest or trough to the subsequent crest of trough)The longer the wavelength, the lower the energy of the electromagnetic radiation.
What is the relationship between velocity wavelength and frequency of radiation?
When the wavelength of the wave increases and the frequency is constant, the velocity of the wave also increases because the wavelength is directly proportional to velocity. When the frequency of a wave increases and the wavelength is constant, the velocity of the wave increases.
Why do elements only absorb certain wavelengths?
An atom changes from a ground state to an excited state by taking on energy from its surroundings in a process called absorption. The electron absorbs the energy and jumps to a higher energy level. Because the atom can only absorb specific amounts of energy, only certain wavelengths of light will be absorbed.
Why do elements have different wavelengths?
Each element has a different set of allowed orbits, so each element emits or absorbs photons with different energies — and therefore, different wavelengths.
Which EM wave has longest wavelength?
Radio waves, infrared rays, visible light, ultraviolet rays, X-rays, and gamma rays are all types of electromagnetic radiation. Radio waves have the longest wavelength, and gamma rays have the shortest wavelength. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
What happens to the wavelength of electromagnetic waves as frequency increases?
The number of complete wavelengths in a given unit of time is called frequency (f). As a wavelength increases in size, its frequency and energy (E) decrease. From these equations you may realize that as the frequency increases, the wavelength gets shorter. As the frequency decreases, the wavelength gets longer.
What is the relationship between frequency and wavelength of radiation?
The product of the frequency times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation is always equal to the speed of light. vl= c As a result, electromagnetic radiation that has a long wavelength has a low frequency, and radiation with a high frequency has a short wavelength.
Does electromagnetic radiation travel at the speed of light?
Light and Other Forms of Electromagnetic Radiation. These different forms of radiation all travel at the speed of light ( c ). They differ, however, in their frequencies and wavelengths. The product of the frequency times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation is always equal to the speed of light.
What is electromagnetic radiation?
Electromagnetic radiation is a type of energy that is commonly known as light. Generally speaking, we say that light travels in waves, and all electromagnetic radiation travels at the same speed which is about 3.0 * 108meters per second through a vacuum. We call this the “speed of light”; nothing can move faster than the speed of light.
How does temperature affect the electromagnetic spectrum?
All bodies produce electromagnetic radiation if their temperatures are higher than 0 degrees Kelvin. The higher temperature, the more energetic the EM. If the temperature of the body is high enough, the electromagnetic radiation produced is in the visible spectrum, beginning with red.