What is the electromagnetic radiation

What is the electromagnetic radiation

Electromagnetic radiation is a self-propagating wave from space and other mediums. It is also called light, but light is a tiny part of electromagnetic radiation. Visible light, X-rays, gamma-rays, radio waves, etcetera are all electromagnetic waves. 

Electromagnetic radiation properties:-

• It is a transverse wave. 
• Its existence is due to the oscillation of electric and magnetic fields.
• It is not necessary to have any medium for its transmission.
• In electromagnetic radiation, the electric field and the magnetic field oscillate perpendicular to each other. And the direction of propagation of the electromagnetic wave is perpendicular to the electric and magnetic fields.
• The part of electromagnetic radiation to which the human eye is sensitive is called visible light. The wavelength of visible light ranges from 4000 angstroms to 8000 angstroms.
• Electromagnetic radiation also has energy and momentum. When these waves collide with a substance, they provide energy and momentum to the substance's molecules (atoms or electrons).
• The speed of light in a vacuum is about 3 lakh km/s (299,800 km/s) which is a constant. No object can accelerate faster than this.

ENERGY OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION:-

Electromagnetic radiation behaves as consisting of discrete wave-like particles called quanta or photons. Photons have the characteristics of a wave and travel with the velocity of light in the direction of the beam. The amount of energy corresponding to 1 photon is expressed by Plank's equation.

E=hv

But v=c/ λ

Therefore, E=hc/ λ

Where E is the energy of 1 photon or quantum, h is Plank's constant, v is frequency in hertz and λ is wavelength in centimeters.

If N is the Avogadro number, the energy of 1 mole of photons can be given as-