TSR Wiki > Study Help > Subjects and Revision > Revision Notes > Physics > The electromagnetic spectrum
- All waves in the electromagnetic spectrum are transverse.
- The waves all travel, in a vacuum, at ~3 x 108ms-1 known commonly as the speed of light.
- The following table puts waves in order of increasing wavelength and decreasing frequency.
| Wave
| Uses / notes
|
| Cosmic Rays
| Hazard
|
| Gamma Rays
| Killing Cancer Cells
|
| X-Rays
| Medical Uses (X-Raying People)
|
| Ultra Violet
| Sterilising and sun tanning
|
| Visible Light
| Violet light has a higher frequency and lower wavelength than red light.
|
| Infra-Red Light
| Night Vision, short distance communication and heating
|
| Microwaves
| Cooking, communication
|
| Radio Waves
| Include short wave radio, medium wave and long wave radio waves.
|
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