The electromagnetic spectrum

I remember reading about the children’s version of quantum mechanics. Is light a wave or a particle? As I progressed in school, visible light and X-rays were particles. The very low frequencies and radio frequencies are kind of cool because they seem like waves that sometimes pretend to be particles.

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the electromagnetic spectrum showing wavelength, frequency, and energy

Electromagnetic radiation

All light is a combination of magnetic and electric fields in parallel. When wavelengths are really small, 400-700 nm when tend to think of this light in terms of photons, secrete packages of energy that can bump an electron up to a higher molecular orbital. Things get blurry when we get to pulsed extremely low frequency electromagnetic (PEMF) stuff. Wavelengths are in meters and energy is thought of in terms of magnetic fields that do work.

A ghost dog jumping through a Helmholz set of coils. The lines indicate the direction of teh magnetic field.

Very low frequencies

Magnetic fields are generated by electrons flowing through coiled wires.

Radio frequencies

The Assisi group has developed a device that uses radio frequencies to promote nitric oxide production for better blood flow.

a red LED light

visible light

Red light therapy has become extremely popular in the past few years. Some of this may be due to the wide availability of light emitting diodes. These things are available in more colors than just red.

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