What are “Electromagnetic Waves”?
I just wanted to know how electromagnetic radiation is used to gain information about the universe. I can’t seem to find what I am looking for anywhere. Reply Scientists (unfortunately) use a somewhat technical language, and often do not realize that this creates problems for non-scientists. Electromagnetic radiation is another name for light, and for wave phenomena which are similar to light but with longer or shorter wavelengths: radio, microwave, infra-red, ultra-violet, X-rays and gamma rays are all electromagnetic waves. So electromagnetic waves are the ONLY source (with a few exotic exceptions) through which we get information about the universe outside Earth. The astronomer Martin Harwit used this fact to ask, what is the maximum information such waves CAN give us about the universe? He made a chart of all the wavelengths, and the resolution we can get in each (how small and faint are the details we can see), and then pointed out where unobserved “gaps” remained. Most were in wa
Waves are vibrations (or oscillations) moving through the space. The wave transfers energy as it moves. Light, sound, water waves, seismic waves (earthquakes), radio waves, X-rays and gamma rays are all examples of waves. Some waves do not need matter to pass through. This is the case for the electromagnetic waves, which include radio, microwaves, infra-red, light,. ultra-violet, X-rays and gamma rays. Electromagnetic waves or electromagnetic radiation consist of waves of electric and magnetic energy travelling together at the speed of light. Various applications of their use can be found in the service of mankind for more than 100 years. They are used in the communication systems of the fire service, the police, ambulances, and also in radars. The most recent applications of electromagnetic waves have appeared in the 80´s and the 90´s and are related to the mobile telephony and satellite communication services.
