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Which types of electromagnetic waves travel at the speed of light?
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All forms of electromagnetic radiation travel at the speed of light when moving through a vacuum. This universal constant is defined as exactly 299,792,458 metres per second.123
Rather than being limited to a single type, this speed applies to the entire electromagnetic spectrum, which encompasses all of the following:14
- Radio waves (including commercial radio, television, and radar)15
- Microwaves14
- Infrared radiation15
- Visible light14
- Ultraviolet radiation14
- X-rays14
- Gamma rays12
While these waves differ significantly in their frequency, wavelength, and energy levels, they all share the same fundamental propagation speed in a vacuum. In quantum theory, this also applies to photons, which are the energy packets that constitute electromagnetic radiation.124