Applications of EM waves

Wave	Key property	Use
Radio	Can travel long distances and reflect off the ionosphere.	TV and radio signals
Microwaves	Can easily travel through the Earth’s atmosphere.	Satellite communication
Microwaves	Absorbed by water to cause heating.	Cooking
Infrared	Emitted by warm bodies.	Heaters, cooking and infrared cameras
Visible light	Travels at high speed in glass.	Optical fibres
Ultraviolet	Absorbed by some materials and re-emitted as visible light.	Energy efficient lamps
Ultraviolet	Reacts with pigments in skin.	Tanning
Gamma	Penetrates skin/tissue, emitted by tracers.	Medical imaging
X-ray	Penetrates skin/tissue but absorbed by bone.	Medical imaging
Gamma/ X-ray	Damages and kills cancer cells.	Medical treatments

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