Module 2

ELECTROMAGNETIC
SPECTRUM
Training of Trainers for Grade 10 of the K
to 12 Enhanced Basic Education Program
April 27 May 2, 2015
(Luzon Cluster)

Outline of Presentation

Spiraling of concepts
Module 2 Competencies
Module 2 activities
Activity 2: Now you go! Now you
wont!
Discussion
Essential Characteristics of
Science Inquiry

In Grade 7

EM spectrum consists of various types of waves.

The higher the frequency, the shorter the wavelength.
High energy EM waves have high frequency and short
wavelengths.

In Grade 8

visible light

The arrangement of colors of light shows

Light is composed of different
the hierarchy of the colors corresponding
colors.
energy.

In Grade 10

Applications of
the different EM
waves

Image Credit:
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/toolbox/emspectrum1.html

Sample Pre-assessment
TRUE OR FALSE:
1.Electromagnetic waves carry
energy.
2.An electromagnetic wave is a
longitudinal wave.
3.Electromagnetic waves can travel in
an empty space.
4. Sound waves are electromagnetic
waves.
5. Different colors of light have the
same amount of energy.

Competencies
The learners should be able to:
compare the relative wavelengths of
different forms of electromagnetic radiation
explain uses of the different forms of EM
radiation
create models on how materials react to
EM radiation other than light (e.g. glass is
opaque to some UV rays)
explain the effects of EM radiation to living
things

Activities in Module 2
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

How it came about [Contribution of

different scientist]
Now you go! Now you wont! [Materials
that allow/block EM waves]
Sound check[Producing and detecting
radio waves]
Then there was sound [Parts of a radio
transmitter and receiver]
Its getting hotter [About infrared
radiation]
Screen the UV out [About UV radiation]

Activity 1: How it came

about
OMG! The compass
needle move near the
current-carrying wire.
This shows electric
current creates magnetic
field.

Hans Christian Oersted

1777-1851

You got it right

Maxwell. I proved
the existence of
EM waves!

Hey Hans, the

opposite could be
true! A changing
magnetic field
produces an electric
field.

You both got it right! An

electromagnetic wave
exists when the changing
magnetic field causes a
changing electric field,
which then causes another
changing magnetic field,
and so on.

Michael Faraday
1791-1867

Image
http://soulconnection.net/glossary_in_depth/maxwell.htm
credit:
Heinrich Hertz
1857-1894

lhttp://www.rare-earth-magnets.com/hans-christianoersted/
http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Faraday
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_Hertz

James Clerk Maxwell

1831-1879

Electromagnetic waves

A moving charge
creates magnetic field.

Image credit:
http://www.school-forchampions.com/science/magnetic_field_
moving_charges.htm#.VThZiyaKCM8

A changing magnetic
field causes a
changing electric field.

Image credit:
http://electrical4u.com/faraday-law-ofelectromagnetic-induction/

Electromagnetic waves

The successive production of electric and

magnetic field results to the creation EM
wave.
An EM wave propagates outward from the
source.

Image credit:
http://www.astronomynotes.com/light/s2.htm

Electromagnetic waves

The electric and magnetic fields vibrate at right

angles to the direction the wave travels so it is a
transverse wave.

Image credit:
http://www.astronomynotes.com/light/s2.htm

The modern
understandin
g of light and
color begins
with Isaac
Newton.

Image credit:
http://www.webexhibits.org/colorart/bh.html

Image Credit:
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/t
oolbox/emspectrum1.html

Newton set up a prism near his

window, and projected a beautiful
spectrum 22 feet onto the far wall.
Further, to prove that the prism was
not coloring the light, he refracted the
light back together.

Frederick William
Herschel
(1738 - 1822)

Image credit:
http://coolcosmos.ipac.calte
ch.edu/cosmic_classroom/ir
_tutorial/discovery.html

Image Credit:
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/toolbo
x/emspectrum1.html

In 1800 he performed a famous

experiment where he tried to measure the
temperature of different colours of the
spectrum by placing a thermometer on
each colour. He found to his amazement
that the hottest part of the spectrum was
in a place where there was no colour at
all. It was a spot beyond the red end of
the spectrum. For the first time it was
possible to talk about invisible light. This
hot light became known as Infra Red
(below the red) because it was shown to
have longer wavelength than visible light.
[http://www.krysstal.com/spectrum.html]

Johann Wilhelm Ritter

(1776 - 1810)

Image credit:
http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/
cosmic_classroom/classroom_activi
ties/ritter_bio.html

Image Credit:
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/toolbo
x/emspectrum1.html

In chemistry at that time there was a rumour

that blue light was more efficient at initiating
chemical change than red light. Ritter tried to
measure the speed at which silver chloride
broke down with different colours. He proved
that blue light was indeed more efficient that red
light. He was amazed, however, that the most
vigorous reactions took place in the region
beyond the violet where nothing could be seen.
This new radiation was originally called
Chemical Rays but is now called Ultra Violet
(beyond the violet). Ultra Violet differs from
visible light only in its wavelength which is
shorter. [http://www.krysstal.com/spectrum.html]

Heinrich Rudolf Hertz

(1857 - 1894)

Image credit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Heinrich_Hertz

Image Credit:
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/toolbo
x/emspectrum1.html

He set up electric circuits that

produced oscillations and managed to
produce electromagnetic radiation
with a wavelength of 66cm (over a
million times longer than light). This
radiation could be picked up by other
circuits set up quite a distance away.
The new radiation was first called
Hertzian Waves; this became
Radiotelegraphic Waves after
Marconi. We now call them Radio
Waves. [http://www.krysstal.com/spectrum.html]

Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson

The scientists discovered the cosmic
microwave background radiation. This
radiation, which fills the entire
Universe, is believed to be a clue to
it's beginning, something known as
the Big Bang.

Perry Spencer (1894 - 1970)

invented the microwave oven
In 1945, Percy Spencer was experimenting with
a new vacuum tube called a magnetron while
doing research for the Raytheon Corporation. He
was intrigued when the candy bar in his pocket
began to melt, so he tried another experiment
with popcorn. When it began to pop, Spencer
immediately saw the potential in this
revolutionary process. In 1947, Raytheon built
the first microwave oven, the Radarange.
Image Credit:
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/toolbo
x/emspectrum1.html

[http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/scientificexperiments/9-things-invented-or-discovered-by-accident2.htm]

Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen

(1845 - 1923)

Image credit:
http://www.twoviews.com/article_Rontgen.html

Image Credit:
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/toolbo
x/emspectrum1.html

On the night of 5 November 1895, he noticed a

glow coming from a chemical called barium
platinocyanide. This chemical glowed
whenever the tube was on, even if he put
cardboard between it and the tube.
Roentgen went on to show that the glow was
caused by a highly penetrating but invisible
radiation given off by the tube. It passed
through paper, thin sheets of metal, flesh. It
could ionise gases and had wave properties like
light but only much shorter wavelengths.
The new radiation was called X-Rays because of
their mysterious properties. Roentgen refused to
patent the discovery or make any financial gain
out of it but he was awarded the first ever Nobel
Prize for Physics.
[http://www.krysstal.com/spectrum.html]

Paul Ulrich Villard

(1860 - 1934)

Image credit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Ulrich_Villard

Image Credit:
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/toolbo
x/emspectrum1.html

Villard discovered gamma radiation in 1900,

while studying radiation emitted from radium.
Villard knew that his described radiation was
more powerful than previously described types
of rays from radium, which included beta rays,
first noted as "radioactivity" by Henri Becquerel
in 1896, and alpha rays, discovered as a less
penetrating form of radiation by Rutherford, in
1899. However, Villard did not consider naming
them as a different fundamental type. Villard's
radiation was recognized as being of a type
fundamentally different from previously named
rays, by Ernest Rutherford, who in 1903 named
Villard's rays "gamma rays" by analogy with the
beta and alpha rays that Rutherford had
differentiated in 1899.

EM spectrum is a continuum of EM waves arranged according

to frequency and wavelength.
It shows a gradual progression from the waves of lowest
frequency to the waves of highest frequency or vice versa.
The different EM waves do not have exact dividing region.

Module 2: Electromagnetic
Spectrum
Motivation:
Call me maybe
Hey I just met you
And this is crazy
(insert number here)
But here's my number
So call me maybe

Cell phones uses microwaves to transmit and

receive information.
Remote control of RC cars also sends a control
signal using radio waves.

Activity 2

Now you go!

Now you
wont!

Objectives

Identify materials that can block or allow

radio waves.

Compare the speed of the car when the

transmitter is without cover and when it
is covered with different materials.

Questions to be investigated
What materials allow radio
waves to pass through them?
What materials block radio
waves?

Material
s
colored paper aluminum foil
wax paper

transparent plastic

Latex gloves kitchen paper

towel

Remotecontrolled car

Procedur
e
1 Test the RC car if it is

working.
2 Wrap the antenna around the
remote control. Secure it with a
twist-tie wire or rubber band.

Procedur
e
3 Use the remote control to make

the toy car run.

[The car should run in a

straight path. If not, place the car between
two planks of wood or meter sticks.]

Image of car:
http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photo-red-german-expensive-car-collectibletoy-cabriolet-isolated-white-background-image40543185

Procedur
e
4 Choose a distance for the car to

travel on. Use a stopwatch (cell

phone) to get the time it took the
car to travel the distance.
Maintain the distance between
the car and the remote control.
Press once the forward button
and dont release it until the car
reached the finish line of the
distance you set.

Procedur
e
5 Start measuring the time it took

the car to cover the distance you

set with the remote control
without cover first. Record the
time in Table 1.
6 Wrap the remote control one at a
time with the different materials.
Make sure that it is completely
covered.

Make sure you know where the

forward button is.

Materials to
test:

The materials will be used by other

group.
Please unfold them carefully after
each use.

The materials should be of the same size so the

remote control will be wrapped with equal thickness.

Procedur
e
7 Record in Table 1 the time it took

the car to cover the distance you

set with the remote control
covered with different materials.

Table 1
Material
covering the
remote
control
No cover
Colored Paper
Wax Paper
Kitchen paper
towel
Transparent
Plastic
Aluminum Foil
Latex gloves

RC car time of
travel (s)

Observations

Guide Questions:
1.

2.

3.
4.
5.
6.

Which of the materials that cover the remote control allows the
radio waves to pass through? What evidence shows radio waves
pass through these materials?
Which of the materials that cover the remote control blocks the
radio waves? What evidence shows radio waves was blocked by
these materials?
What kind of materials allowed radio waves to pass through?
What kind of materials blocked radio waves?
What do the results of the activity tell about the characteristics
of radio waves?
Compare the time taken by the car to travel the distance you set
when the remote control was not covered to the time when the
remote control was covered with different materials. Are they the
same? What does this tell about the strength of the signal sent
by the remote control when it hits the material covering it?

Guide Questions:
1.

Which of the materials that cover the remote control

allows the radio waves to pass through? What evidence
shows radio waves pass through these materials?
colored paper
wax paper

kitchen paper
towel
transparent plastic

Latex gloves

The RC car moved.

2.

Which of the materials that cover the remote control

blocks the radio waves? What evidence shows radio waves
was blocked by these materials?
aluminum foil
The RC car did not move.

Guide Questions:
3.

What kind of materials allowed EM waves to pass through?

colored paper
kitchen paper
wax paper
towel
Latex gloves

Paper (cellulose)

Rubber (elastomers)

transparent plastic
4.

Plastic (polyethylene)

What kind of materials blocked EM waves?

aluminum foil

Aluminum - Metallic

Guide Questions:
5.

What does the result of the activity tells about the

characteristic of radio waves?
Radio waves can be blocked by some materials.
Radio waves can pass through some materials.

6.

Compare the time taken by the car to travel the distance

you set when the remote control was not covered to the
time when the remote control was covered with different
materials. Are they the same? What does this tell about
the strength of the signal sent by the remote control when
it hits the material covering it?
No
The signal can be weakened by the material covering
the remote control.

Discussio
n

receiving antenna
(not visible outside the
car)

radiowave
s
transmittin
g antenna

receivin
g
antenna

Transmitter

sends a control signal to the

receiver using radio waves
Receiver - An antenna and circuit board inside the toy receives signals from
the transmitter and activates motors inside the toy as commanded by the
transmitter.

Discussio
n
Transmitter
:sends a control signal to the
receiver using radio waves

Power supply: Provides the necessary

electrical power to operate the
transmitter.

Transmitter consists of several

elements that work together to
generate radio waves that contain
useful information

Discussio
n
Three things happen to EM waves when it
encounters a barrier. It can bounce (reflectance or
scattering), pass through (transmittance), or just
plain stop (absorbance).

Image credit:
https://sites.google.com/site/waveslightandsoundunit/03---unit-lessons/04---lightwaves

Discussio
n
When a radio wave reaches an obstacle, some of its energy is
absorbed and converted into another kind of energy, while
another part is attenuated and continues to propagate, and
another part may be reflected.
Attenuation is when a signal's power is reduced as it is being
transmitted.
Attenuation increases with a rise in frequency or in distance.

the level of
attenuation depends strongly on which
type of material the obstacle is made of.
Also, when a signal collides with an obstacle,

Discussio
n
What is Attenuation Coefficient?
The attenuation coefficient is the level by which a
material will block or interfere with radio waves.
This coefficient depends heavily on the thickness and
composition of the material.
Cardboard, paper, many plastics, water, and glass are
all substances with very low attenuation
coefficients. In addition, wood, brick, and cement
have a limited effect on making radio waves blocked.
However, metallic compounds, steel-reinforced
concrete and the Earth reflect signals, preventing
radio signals from passing through.

Properties of media
The weakening of signal strength is largely due to the properties of the
medium that the wave is passing through. Here is a table showing attenuation
levels for different materials:

Materials

Degree
of
Attenua
tion

air

none

Open space

bricks

medium

walls

wood

low

Door , floor,
partition

plaster

medium

partitions

plastic

low

partition

paper

high

Rolls of paper

glass

low

Untinted
windows

concrete

high

Load-bearing
walls, floors

Tinted
glass

medium

Tinted windows

Bullet proof
glass

high

Bullet proof
windows

water

medium

aquarium

metal

Very high

Metal cabinet,
elevator cage

Living
creatures

medium

Crowds,
animals,
people, plants

Examples

Materials

Source:
http://en.kioskea.net/contents/832-propagation-of-radio-waves-802-11

Degree
of
Attenua
tion

Examples

2 Types of matter
(substance) that affect Radio
waves
Conductors
Copper
Aluminum
Silver
Gold

If the material is metal, almost all

of the radio waves are reflected
within the first few atoms of the
material. A small amount of
energy is absorbed by the silver
atoms and converted to heat.

Insulators
(Dielectrics)
Paper
Plastic
Teflon
Glass
Ceramic
Dry wood
As the radio wave travels through the
dielectric material some of the energy
is absorbed generating heat and some
of the radio waves travel through and
comes out of the other side.

Extension Activity
Students can take the investigation further
by
comparing the ability of the same materials
in blocking other EM Waves .

Non-ionizing
radiation

Ionizing
radiation

Extension Activity
Students can take the
investigation further by controlling
variables such as the thickness of
materials.

5 Essential Characteristics of Scientific Inquiry

Characteristics
Engaging in scientificallyoriented questions
Gathering evidence

Activity 2: Now you go! Now you wont!

What materials allow/block radio waves?

Observe the car if it moves or not

Infer that if the car moves, then the radio
waves emitted by the transmitter pass
through the material covering it
Infer that if the car did not move, then the
radio waves emitted by the transmitter did
not pass through the material covering it

5 Essential Characteristics of Scientific

Inquiry
Characteristics
Providing explanations
based on evidence and
scientific knowledge
Evaluating explanations
Justifying and
communicating
explanations

Activity
If the material blocking the
radio wave is metal, almost
all of the EM waves are
reflected.
If the material blocking the EM
wave is dielectric, some of
the EM waves are absorbed
and some are transmitted.

THANK YOU!