The Basics of Electromagnetic Radiation

What is Electromagnetic Radiation?

 Electromagnetic radiation is an energy form that is all around us. It takes many forms such as radio waves, microwaves, gamma rays, and X-rays. Visible light is also a small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum which includes sunlight and contains a range of different electromagnetic wavelengths. 

The Electromagnetic Theory

Initially, electricity and magnetism were thought to have been separate forces, however, in 1873 that changed. Scottish physicist, James Clerk Maxwell, developed a theory of electromagnetism. This study deals with how electrically charged particles interact with one another along with how they interact with magnetic fields. 

The Four Main Electromagnetic Interactions:

• Attraction or Repulsion: this force is between electric charges and is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them
• Magnetic Poles: these come in pairs that either attract or repel one another, similar to how electric charges do
• Magnetic Field: an electric current in a wire produces a magnetic field in which the direction of the field depends on the direction of the current
• Electric Field: a moving electric field can produce a magnetic field and a magnetic field can create an electric field 

Maxwell’s Equations

James Clerk Maxwell created this set of formulas to describe these interactions.

Sources:

Image 1: https://www.tnuda.org.il/en/physics-radiation/what-radiation/types-electromagnetic-radiation

Image 2: https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/technical-articles/maxwells-equations-in-present-form/

Information: https://www.livescience.com/38169-electromagnetism.html