Facts & Applications

Electromagnetism is everywhere.  To list all the facts and applications would be virtually endless.  Therefore, we will focus on one important property and a couple applications.

              The most important fact about electromagnetism is that an electromagnetic wave is a transverse wave.¹  This is important since, unlike sound, transverse waves require no medium to travel through.  This means electromagnetic waves can travel through outer space without interference.  This is very important for things such as life.  Plants use visible light – a small portion of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum - for energy conversion.  Animals, including humans, then use plants for energy conversion.  The electromagnetic spectrum also consists of radio waves, infrared waves, ultraviolet light, microwaves, x-rays, and gamma rays.² 

            Gamma rays possess the most energy and radio waves possess the least amount of energy.  Radio waves have the longest wavelength and gamma have the shortest wavelength.  Radio waves have many practical applications such as communications for humans.  Gamma rays have very few practical applications for us.  Note, too many x-rays, which have less energy than gamma rays, would be really unhealthy for a person.  Thus, we can take this unhealthy effect, multiply it, and determine how healthy gamma rays are.  Electromagnetic radiation also has many household applications.

            The first and best application is visible light.  We use electromagnetism to light households, roads, schools, and so on.  Microwave appliances are used to heat things quickly.  They work by firing microwaves at a particular frequency as to vibrate water molecules, thus heating food and liquids.³  Ovens use infrared radiation element to transfer heat to cook food.  

            These are only a few applications of electromagnetism and "Conclusions and Uncertainty" offers an analysis of this.  Many more can be discovered by thinking about objects involved in our everyday habits.  Electromagnetism is one of the most important phenomenon in life, although it can be used, unfortunately, to destroy life.  But despite these downsides it can also be used to sustain life as we know it.