NASA: TOUR OF THE ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM

** Paperback in FULL, High-Quality Color Printing – 30 pages ** Printed on Premier Paper and color ink. Editor’s Note: This is an EXCELLENT discussion of the Electromagnetic Spectrum suitable or those young and old! To be able to understand that, from very low frequencies, then into sound, then radio waves, then into infrared, visible light, ultraviolet light, and finally into X-Rays and Gamma Rays, it is all one continuous spectrum. This book does a tremendous job of describing not only the spectrum, but also the energy in the various portions of the spectrum, and describing each section in depth! We give this book our highest approval! NASA scientists and their ability to depict the concepts with beautiful graphics and explanations is second to none! Everyone, from middle school through college levels and beyond, should be exposed to this understanding about the EM spectrum. It is truly eye-opening in one’s understanding of the spectrum as it relates to everything we see, hear, transmit, light, etc. TOUR OF THE ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM When you tune your radio, watch TV, send a text message, or pop popcorn in a microwave oven, you are using electromagnetic energy. You depend on this energy every hour of every day. Without it, the world you know could not exist. Electromagnetic energy travels in waves and spans a broad spectrum from very long radio waves to very short gamma rays. The human eye can only detect only a small portion of this spectrum called visible light. A radio detects a different portion of the spectrum, and an x-ray machine uses yet another portion. NASA’s scientific instruments use the full range of the electromagnetic spectrum to study the Earth, the solar system, and the universe beyond. OUR PROTECTIVE ATMOSPHERE Our Sun is a source of energy across the full spectrum, and its electromagnetic radiation bombards our atmosphere constantly. However, the Earth’s atmosphere protects us from exposure to a range of higher energy waves that can be harmful to life. Gamma rays, x-rays, and some ultraviolet waves are “ionizing,” meaning these waves have such a high energy that they can knock electrons out of atoms. Exposure to these high-energy waves can alter atoms and molecules and cause damage to cells in organic matter. These changes to cells can sometimes be helpful, as when radiation is used to kill cancer cells, and other times not, as when we get sunburned. ANATOMY OF AN ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVE Energy, a measure of the ability to do work, comes in many forms and can transform from one type to another. Examples of stored or potential energy include batteries and water behind a dam. Objects in motion are examples of kinetic energy. Charged particles–such as electrons and protons–create electromagnetic fields when they move, and these fields transport the type of energy we call electromagnetic radiation, or light. You will thoroughly enjoy this book, it’s easy-to-follow descriptions, the beautiful colorful graphics and the principles discussed.