electromagnetic spectrum: Quick Facts

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Oct. 27, 2026

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The fastest arms race is happening in the electromagnetic spectrum • Oct. 24, 2026, 9:49 PM ET (Jerusalem Post)

Photos and Videos

Diagram of the electromagnetic spectrum showing frequency, wavelength, and photon energy scales, with labeled regions for gamma rays, X-rays, ultraviolet, infrared, radar, microwaves, television, and radio waves. The visible light portion is highlighted and enlarged to the right, displaying its color range from violet to red.

Diagram of the electromagnetic spectrum with labeled sections for radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays, each paired with an example use and corresponding image.

electromagnetic spectrum

Figure 1: The electromagnetic spectrum.

Diagram of the electromagnetic spectrum showing different types of waves arranged by wavelength and frequency, from gamma rays and X-rays to ultraviolet, visible light, infrared, microwave, TV/FM radio, shortwave radio, AM radio, and longwave radio.

Understand how the electromagnetic spectrum helps study the celestial bodies

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Topics

spectroscopy X-ray gamma ray spectrum attenuation spectrum radio-frequency spectrum band spectrum continuous spectrum line spectrum absorption spectrum resonance luminescence photoelectric effect photovoltaic effect absorption pair production thermal radiation Auger effect Planck’s constant Cherenkov radiation

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electromagnetic radiation: The electromagnetic spectrum