I consider myself fairly savvy about science, but I read something odd in a physics today. It related electricity and magnetism to the electromagnetic spectrum. It hit me funny.
Electricity is the motion of electrons. So is magnetism. The electromagnetic spectrum is the wide range of wavelengths of "light" or energy. So the electro-magnetic spectrum actually includes neither electricity nor magnetism? Is that correct? Am I missing something? isn't that an odd trick of language if I'm right?
Light is fundamentally different from electricity right?
2007-03-07 17:20:29 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Great answers so far, thanks all!
2007-03-07 17:49:35 · update #1
light is a form of electromagnetic radiation.
it has an electric component propogating in one plane and a magnetic component propogating in a perpendicular plane.... see here...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_radiation
electricity also has an electric and a magnetic field.
difference between the two is fields vs disturbances...
see here..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetism
2007-03-07 17:30:36 · answer #1 · answered by Dr W 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Light is in the form of a wave, and the spectrum typically refers to different wavelengths of light that have different appearances.
You are correct that electricity is the movement of electrons, and magnetism is similar. An electromagnet has a magnetic field created by the flow of electricity through a coil.
Although light and electricity are fundamentally different, there are other parallels. For example, electric voltage can be measured with an oscilloscope and will look like a wave....
2007-03-08 01:30:12 · answer #2 · answered by jflinca 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
short answer: electro-magnetic waves (EM waves) are photons. Photons transmit the Electro-Magnetic force. (Electricity and Magnetism).
Long Answer: Every force (aside from gravity) has a particle that transmits it. For electro-magnetism the particle is a photon. Quantum Mechanics says that photons can be considered as particles AND waves. When photons travel through space they oscillate with a certain wavelength. The EM spectrum consists of the spectrum (range) of wavelengths that a photon can have. Visible light has wavelengs between 500 and 900 nanometers.
So how does this tie into electrons?
The laws of physics state that a moving charge creates a magnetic field. The electric field is simply there (like gravity).
Ok... so how does the EM Spectrum relate to Electricity and Magnetism?
If it isnt already clear, ill try and say this as simply as i can... As i already said, a photon travling through space can be considerd as a wave. So whats waving? Answer: the EM field. You can think of it as two sine functions, one horizontal and on vertical. One is the magnetic field, the other is the Electric field.
2007-03-08 01:34:26 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I will tell you something about light which most of you
do not know.
Who were the first to calculate the velocity of light?
Rig Veda Bhashyam by Sayana Madhava gives the following
Sloka praising the Sun:
Yojanam sahasre dve, satadve, dvecha yojane
Ekena nimeshardhena kramamaana namosthuthe
One Yojana equals 15788.8 meters, and half of Nimesha
equals 8/75 fraction of a second. This gives the velocity
of light as 325940 km/s. We have to remember here that the
above value is an approximate one intended for easy
remembrance, like remembering the value of pi as 22/7. It
is better than the value 215000 km/s given by Danish
astronomer Ole Roemer in 1676. Having discovered so many
things, it is only logical to expect that our ancestors
must have used light as the standard for length
measurements; after all, modern science considers velocity
of light to be a Universal Constant! The word "kramamaana"
of the above Sloka has the hidden meaning of gradual
minute change.
Our ancient seers did not use light as a standard for
length measurement. Albert Einstain found that light
bends if it passes by the side of a large mass. How can
that "which bends" be called unchangeable? Every
created thing is subject to change by time; there is
nothing like an universal constant. And the velocity of
light is no exception to this law. The velocity of
light of our Sun was greater in Krita Yuga than what it
is now, even if it is by a small fraction. The velocity
of light is proportional to the stored energy in the
Sun or any other star. Modern science also accepts that
the Sun has lost a lot of energy over billions of
years. Then, there must be some other stars in the
universe which have greater stored energies than the
Sun, and are emitting light which is faster than that
of the Sun? Yes. Modern science will confirm this after
it develops more sophisticated equipment than what they
have at present.
2007-03-08 01:42:14 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Electricity is not necessarily the motion of electrons. Electric fields are caused by anything that holds charge (electrons are one example), and no motion is necessary. Magnetism can be caused by moving charge, so I see how you might equate it with the motion of electrons.
An electric field can be caused by a changing magnetic field, and a magnetic field can be caused by a changing electric field, so charge does not have to be an immediate cause. Electromagnetic radiation can be caused by oscillating charge, but once it is created, it propagates itself with no support. Electromagnetic radiation is composed of fields, but not of charged particles.
2007-03-09 03:41:23 · answer #5 · answered by Biznachos 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"...Electricity is the motion of electrons. So is magnetism..."
Don't know if this is any help to you or not, but magnetism is NOT the motion of electrons. Magnetism can be CAUSED by the motions of electrons. Exactly just what a magnetic field is isn't well understood.
2007-03-08 01:32:13 · answer #6 · answered by Chug-a-Lug 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
light is motion of photons... or u could say 'light electrons' though that wouldnt be the correct term.. so photons also have an electric alingment and magnetic alignment... if uve studied fleming's left hand rule and right hand rule... u know the motion of the electromagnetic wave...
2007-03-08 01:37:40 · answer #7 · answered by gauravragtah 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well actually the electo-magnetic spectrum is rapidly varying magnetic and electric fields that are launched into space. Take a look at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxwell's_equations
2007-03-08 01:26:37 · answer #8 · answered by rscanner 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Light consist of waves of photons. These are created when an electron is exited by an outside force exerted on the atom it is part of. the electron reaches an exited state attempting to escape its bond with the atom it is part of. when it is pulled back to the original electron orbit that it had occupied it releases the excess energy that it had gained as a photon particle, which are very small even for an electron, which are measured in nano meters.
2007-03-08 01:48:46 · answer #9 · answered by blind 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Who said light is not the motion of electrons?
2007-03-08 01:24:52 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋