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Optical Media / The electromagnetic spectrum


The electromagnetic spectrum
3.2.1 This page introduces the electromagnetic spectrum.


The light used in optical fiber networks is one type of electromagnetic energy. When an electric charge moves back and forth, or accelerates, a type of energy called electromagnetic energy is produced. This energy in the form of waves can travel through a vacuum, the air, and through some materials like glass. An important property of any energy wave is the wavelength.

Radio, microwaves, radar, visible light, x-rays, and gamma rays seem to be very different things. However, they are all types of electromagnetic energy. If all the types of electromagnetic waves are arranged in order from the longest wavelength down to the shortest wavelength, a continuum called the electromagnetic spectrum is created.

The wavelength of an electromagnetic wave is determined by how frequently the electric charge that generates the wave moves back and forth. If the charge moves back and forth slowly, the wavelength it generates is a long wavelength. Visualize the movement of the electric charge as like that of a stick in a pool of water. If the stick is moved back and forth slowly, it will generate ripples in the water with a long wavelength between the tops of the ripples. If the stick is moved back and forth more rapidly, the ripples will have a shorter wavelength.

Because electromagnetic waves are all generated in the same way, they share many of the same properties. The waves all travel at the same rate of speed though a vacuum. The rate is approximately 300,000 kilometers per second or 186,283 miles per second. This is also the speed of light.

Human eyes were designed to only sense electromagnetic energy with wavelengths between 700 nanometers and 400 nanometers (nm). A nanometer is one billionth of a meter (0.000000001 meter) in length. Electromagnetic energy with wavelengths between 700 and 400 nm is called visible light. The longer wavelengths of light that are around 700 nm are seen as the color red. The shortest wavelengths that are around 400 nm appear as the color violet. This part of the electromagnetic spectrum is seen as the colors in a rainbow.

Wavelengths that are not visible to the human eye are used to transmit data over optical fiber. These wavelengths are slightly longer than red light and are called infrared light. Infrared light is used in TV remote controls. The wavelength of the light in optical fiber is either 850 nm, 1310 nm, or 1550 nm. These wavelengths were selected because they travel through optical fiber better than other wavelengths.

The next page will discuss the ray model of light.

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