You are viewing a free preview of this lesson.
Subscribe to unlock all 10 lessons in this course and every other course on LearningBro.
This lesson covers the practical applications of each type of electromagnetic wave, as required by the Edexcel GCSE Combined Science specification (1SC0). You need to know the uses, explain why a particular type of EM wave is suited to each purpose, and link these to the properties of the wave.
| EM Wave | Key Uses |
|---|---|
| Radio waves | TV and radio broadcasting, communications |
| Microwaves | Cooking, satellite communication, mobile phones |
| Infrared (IR) | Heating, thermal imaging, remote controls, optical fibres |
| Visible light | Sight, photography, optical fibres, illumination |
| Ultraviolet (UV) | Fluorescent lamps, security marking, sterilisation, tanning |
| X-rays | Medical imaging, airport security, checking welds |
| Gamma rays | Cancer treatment, sterilising medical equipment, food irradiation |
Radio waves have the longest wavelengths and lowest frequencies in the EM spectrum.
Subscribe to continue reading
Get full access to this lesson and all 10 lessons in this course.