The Effect of Frequency
- As the frequency of electromagnetic (EM) waves increases, so does the energy
- Beyond the visible part of the spectrum, the energy becomes large enough to ionise atoms
- As a result of this, the danger associated with EM waves increases along with the frequency
- The higher the frequency, the more ionising the radiation
- Although the intensity of a wave also plays a very important role
Ultraviolet, X-rays and gamma rays can all ionise atoms
- Because of ionisation, ultraviolet waves, X-rays and gamma rays can have hazardous effects on human body tissue
- The effects depend on the type of radiation and the size of the dose
- They can damage cells and cause mutations, making them cancerous