Give several examples of electromagnetic waves that are encountered in everyday life. How are they all alike? How do they differ?

In everyday life we encounter radio, microwaves, infrared,
ultraviolet, and visible light waves. We usually don't experience X-rays, and very
rarely gamma rays.

Radio waves come from communication
devices as well as interstellar radiation.

Microwaves
typically would be found in a microwave.

Infrared waves are
present in the form of heat.

Visible light is, as you might
expect, visible.

Ultraviolet is produced by some artificial
lighting, as well as the sun.

The atmosphere
usually screens out most X-rays, although you would encounter them in a dentist's office
or an airport scanner. Gamma rays are dangerous because of their high energy, so you
typically wouldn't encounter them, unless you work in a nuclear
reactor.

All of these waves are alike in
that

• They can be propagated without a medium
  (ie. they travel in a vacuum)


• They travel at the speed of
  light


• Their "particles" are
  photons


• They can be bent by
  gravity


• They can interact with and transmit energy to
  atoms

They are different in
that

• Some of them are extremely harmful, some
  are harmless


• Only one type is visible to
  us


• They all transmit different amounts of
  energy


• They are present in very different ratios on the
  surface of the earth


• They are used for different
  purposes