(WVS) Electromagnetic Waves Lesson

Electromagnetic Waves

Did you ever wonder how a microwave works? It directs invisible waves of radiation toward the food placed inside of it. The radiation transfers energy to the food, causing it to get warmer. The radiation is in the form of microwaves, which are a type of electromagnetic waves.

The most common example of electromagnetic (EM) waves is visible light. Electromagnetic waves are waves that consist of vibrating electric and magnetic fields. Everyone is very familiar with light in everyday life, you can only see things because light bounces off them and enters your eyes. This alone makes it worthwhile to learn about it, but there are also very many other applications of EM radiation. Like other waves, electromagnetic waves transfer energy from one place to another. The transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves is called electromagnetic radiation. Electromagnetic waves can transfer energy through matter or across empty space. For an excellent introduction to electromagnetic waves, please watch the video below:

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