Radiation, Absorption

RADIATION IS ENERGY transmitted by electromagnetic waves. Electromagnetic waves travel at the speed of light (when passing through a vacuum) and have a characteristic wavelength, λ, which is inversely proportional to their frequency, v, by

None

where c is the speed of light. Electromagnetic radiation is conceptualized in contemporary theory both as a wave and as a stream of particles called photons (this dual approach is referred to as wave-particle duality). The energy of any photon, E, of radiation is inversely proportional to the wavelength by

None

where h is Planck's constant. This relationship allows us to order electromagnetic waves from high energy/short wavelength (for example, x-rays), to low energy/long wavelength (for example, radio waves). The resulting progression is referred to as the electromagnetic spectrum (Figure 1). The visible ...

  • Loading...
locked icon

Sign in to access this content

Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

  • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
  • Read modern, diverse business cases
  • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles