How does em radiation travel

Once the energy of the electromagnetic wave is reemitted by an atom, it travels through a small region of space between atoms.

Once it reaches the next atom, the electromagnetic wave is absorbed, transformed into electron vibrations and then reemitted as an electromagnetic wave. This is observed in the animation below. The actual speed of an electromagnetic wave through a material medium is dependent upon the optical density of that medium. Different materials cause a different amount of delay due to the absorption and reemission process. Furthermore, different materials have their atoms more closely packed and thus the amount of distance between atoms is less.

These two factors are dependent upon the nature of the material through which the electromagnetic wave is traveling. As a result, the speed of an electromagnetic wave is dependent upon the material through which it is traveling.

Electricity can be static, like the energy that can make your hair stand on end. Magnetism can also be static, as it is in a refrigerator magnet. A changing magnetic field will induce a changing electric field and vice-versa—the two are linked. These changing fields form electromagnetic waves. Electromagnetic waves differ from mechanical waves in that they do not require a medium to propagate.

This means that electromagnetic waves can travel not only through air and solid materials, but also through the vacuum of space. In the 's and 's, a Scottish scientist named James Clerk Maxwell developed a scientific theory to explain electromagnetic waves. He noticed that electrical fields and magnetic fields can couple together to form electromagnetic waves. He summarized this relationship between electricity and magnetism into what are now referred to as "Maxwell's Equations.

Heinrich Hertz, a German physicist, applied Maxwell's theories to the production and reception of radio waves.

The unit of frequency of a radio wave -- one cycle per second -- is named the hertz, in honor of Heinrich Hertz. His experiment with radio waves solved two problems. First, he had demonstrated in the concrete, what Maxwell had only theorized — that the velocity of radio waves was equal to the velocity of light! This proved that radio waves were a form of light! Second, Hertz found out how to make the electric and magnetic fields detach themselves from wires and go free as Maxwell's waves — electromagnetic waves.

Light is made of discrete packets of energy called photons. Photons carry momentum, have no mass, and travel at the speed of light. All light has both particle-like and wave-like properties. How an instrument is designed to sense the light influences which of these properties are observed. An instrument that diffracts light into a spectrum for analysis is an example of observing the wave-like property of light. The particle-like nature of light is observed by detectors used in digital cameras—individual photons liberate electrons that are used for the detection and storage of the image data.

One of the physical properties of light is that it can be polarized. Polarization is a measurement of the electromagnetic field's alignment. In the figure above, the electric field in red is vertically polarized. Think of a throwing a Frisbee at a picket fence. In one orientation it will pass through, in another it will be rejected.

Deep Dive Into Cryptocurrency. ET Markets Conclave — Cryptocurrency. Reshape Tomorrow Tomorrow is different. Let's reshape it today. Corning Gorilla Glass TougherTogether. ET India Inc. ET Engage. ET Secure IT. Suggest a new Definition Proposed definitions will be considered for inclusion in the Economictimes. It is spread across the world to support communication with spacecrafts on interplanetary missions. It is spread across the world, to support communication with spacecrafts on interplanetary missions.

Description: Over the years, DSN has helped in improving our understanding of the universe and the solar system by providing vital radio and radar astronomy observations. Three portable radio tracking stations were deployed in California, Nigeria and Singapore to support receiving telemetry and plotting orbit of the first successful U. DSN presently consists of three strategically placed communications facilities approximately degrees apart from each other around the Earth.

This strategic placement helps in constant uninterrupted observation of the spacecraft as the earth rotates, by smooth handover from one site to another. These sites were chosen because of their bowl shaped semi-mountainous terrain which helps in shielding radio frequency interruptions.

The DSN has high-gain parabolic reflector antennas that are fully steerable and make it the largest and most sensitive scientific telecommunications network in the world.

It is located in Byalalu village, about 40 km from Bengaluru. Similar networks are run by Japan, Russia, China, and Europe. It is a system to improve the accuracy of a global navigation satellite system GNSS receiver by providing reference signals. The GAGAN's goal is to provide a navigation system to assist aircraft in accurate landing over the Indian airspace and in the adjoining area and applicable to safety-to-life civil operations.

The third payload of the system will be launched with GSAT satellite which is scheduled for launch in late of The total approximate cost of the project is Rs 7. GAGAN is the first Satellite-Based Augmentation System in the world which has been certified for approach with vertical guidance operating in the equatorial ionospheric region. GAGAN covers the area from Africa to Australia and has expansion capability for seamless navigation services across the region. This makes airline operations more efficient and effective, increase air safety, and fuel efficiency.

Further, with vertical guidance at runways, a significant cost will be saved due to withdrawal of ground aids and reduced workload of airline crew and traffic controllers. This makes India the third country in the world which has such precisionapproach capabilities. GAGAN has been developed for aviation but it will provide benefits to other sectors as well like transportation, railways, surveying, maritime, highways, telecom industry, and security agencies.

Definition: Electromagnetic waves or EM waves are waves that are created as a result of vibrations between an electric field and a magnetic field.

In other words, EM waves are composed of oscillating magnetic and electric fields.