The electromagnetic spectrum is organized based on wavelength, frequency, and energy of electromagnetic waves. It is a continuous range of all electromagnetic radiation, arranged from longest wavelength and lowest frequency/energy to shortest wavelength and highest frequency/energy. Organization by wavelength (longest to shortest):
- Radio waves
- Microwaves
- Infrared
- Visible light
- Ultraviolet
- X-rays
- Gamma rays
Organization by frequency and energy (lowest to highest):
- Radio waves (lowest frequency and energy)
- Microwaves
- Infrared
- Visible light
- Ultraviolet
- X-rays
- Gamma rays (highest frequency and energy)
Each type of radiation in the spectrum has distinct characteristics and interacts differently with matter, which is why the spectrum is divided into bands with specific names. For example, radio waves have the longest wavelengths and lowest photon energies, while gamma rays have the shortest wavelengths and highest photon energies, capable of ionizing atoms
. The visible light portion is a small part of the spectrum and includes colors from red (longer wavelength, lower energy) to violet (shorter wavelength, higher energy). The boundaries between these bands are not sharply defined but rather fade into each other
. In summary, the electromagnetic spectrum is organized from long wavelengths/low energy (radio waves) to short wavelengths/high energy (gamma rays), with intermediate bands such as microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, and X-rays in between
