ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM

     Anyone with a knowledge of basic physics knows that light can be viewed as a particle or as a wave, as we shall examine in this chapter. Regardless of the fact that it exhibits particle like behavior, it surely does exhibit wavelike behavior, and light and all other forms of electromagnetic behavior are classified based on their wavelength. In the case of visible light, which is simply electromagnetic radiation visible to the human eye, the wavelength determines the color: Red light has a wavelength of about 650 nm and blue light has a wavelength of about 500 nm. Electromagnetic radiation includes all forms of radio waves, microwaves, infrared radiation, visible light, ultraviolet radiation, x-rays, and gamma rays. Outlines the entire spectrum, including corresponding wavelengths.