CHEM 1033 Chapter Notes - Chapter 6.1: Electric Field, Lightning, Electromagnetic Spectrum
25 Jul 2017
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Document Summary
A wave is an oscillation or periodic movement that can transport energy from one point in space to another. Common examples of waves are all around us. These waves can travel through a vacuum at a constant speed of 2. 998 108 m/s, the speed of light (denoted by c). All waves, including forms of electromagnetic radiation, are characterized by, a wavelength (denoted by , the lowercase greek letter lambda), a frequency (denoted by , the lowercase greek letter nu), and an amplitude. As can be seen below, the wavelength is the distance between two consecutive peaks or troughs in a wave (measured in meters in the si system). The product of a wave"s wavelength ( ) and its frequency ( ), , is the speed of the wave. Wavelength and frequency are inversely proportional: as the wavelength increases, the frequency decreases. This figure also shows the electromagnetic spectrum, the range of all types of electromagnetic radiation.
