Question
Question: Name the electromagnetic waves used for the following and arrange them in increasing order of their ...
Name the electromagnetic waves used for the following and arrange them in increasing order of their penetrating power.
a. Water purification b. Rewrite sensing c. Treatment of cancer
a. Water purification: Ultraviolet (UV) rays b. Remote sensing: Infrared (IR) rays c. Treatment of cancer: Gamma (γ) rays
Increasing order of penetrating power: Infrared rays < Ultraviolet rays < Gamma rays
Solution
The electromagnetic waves used for the given applications are as follows:
a. Water purification: Ultraviolet (UV) rays are used for water purification. UV radiation effectively kills bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms by damaging their DNA.
b. Remote sensing: Infrared (IR) rays are widely used in remote sensing. They are employed for thermal imaging, vegetation monitoring, and atmospheric studies, among other applications.
c. Treatment of cancer: Gamma (γ) rays (and X-rays) are used in the treatment of cancer. These high-energy electromagnetic waves can damage cancer cells and are used in radiation therapy.
Arrangement in increasing order of their penetrating power:
The penetrating power of electromagnetic waves increases with their frequency and energy. The general order of the electromagnetic spectrum from lowest to highest frequency/energy (and thus lowest to highest penetrating power) is:
Radio waves < Microwaves < Infrared < Visible light < Ultraviolet < X-rays < Gamma rays
Based on this, the increasing order of penetrating power for the identified waves (Infrared, Ultraviolet, Gamma rays) is:
- Infrared (IR) rays
- Ultraviolet (UV) rays
- Gamma (γ) rays
Therefore, the final order is: Infrared rays < Ultraviolet rays < Gamma rays