Microwave

This page is about the radiation; for the appliance, see microwave oven.

Related Topics:
Radiation - Microwave oven

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Microwaves are electromagnetic waves with wavelengths longer than those of infrared light, but shorter than those of radio waves.

Related Topics:
Electromagnetic waves - Wavelength - Infrared - Light - Radio - Wave

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Microwaves have wavelengths approximately in the range of 30 cm (frequency = 1 GHz) to 1 mm (300 GHz). However, the boundaries between far infrared light, microwaves, and ultra-high-frequency radio waves are fairly arbitrary and are used variously between different fields of study. The existence of electromagnetic waves, of which microwaves are part of the higher frequency spectrum, was predicted by James Clerk Maxwell in 1864 from his famous Maxwell's equations. In 1888, Heinrich Hertz was the first to demonstrate the existence of electromagnetic waves by building apparatus to produce radio waves.

Related Topics:
30 cm - 1 mm - Infrared - Radio - James Clerk Maxwell - 1864 - Maxwell's equations - Heinrich Hertz

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The microwave range include ultra-high frequency (UHF) (0.3-3 GHz), super high frequency (SHF) (3-30 GHz), and extremely high frequency (EHF) (30-300 GHz) signals.

Related Topics:
Ultra-high frequency - Super high frequency - Extremely high frequency

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Note: above 300 GHz, the absorption of electromagnetic radiation by Earth's atmosphere is so great that the atmosphere is effectively opaque to higher frequencies of electromagnetic radiation, until the atmosphere becomes transparent again in the so-called infrared and optical window frequency ranges.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~