What are Electromagnetic spectrum harmful effects?

Answer 1

The electromagnetic spectrum can be generally broken down into two parts: ionizing radiation and non-ionizing radiation. In general, all ionizing radiation, even at low levels, can be dangerous, whereas non-ionizing radiation is usually safe except at very high levels.
Excessive or intense exposure to any type can be harmful however. For instance visible light is not harmful, but if intense enough can blind you (if exposed to your eyes) or can even burn your skin.
Generally, ionizing radiation are high energy waves and are all harmful, even in low amounts, such as gamma rays, x-rays, and ultraviolet waves. These types of radiation cause ionization of atoms and molecules, leading to destruction of the molecules in cells and DNA. If DNA is destroyed in a cell, that cell can be cancerous.
Lower energy waves, such as visible light, infrared radiation, and radio waves are not harmful (again, except in extreme cases). Exposure to high levels of visible or infrared radiation (for example from a powerful laser) can cause blindness and can burn the skin.
Microwaves are a low energy wave that are in fact fairly harmful. Exposure to intense microwaves can cause intense heating of the tissue, potentially causing severe burning.
See the Web Links to the left of this answer for more information about the safety of microwaves and other radiation.

Answer 2

Prolonged exposure to high-energy forms of electromagnetic radiation, such as X-rays and gamma rays, can damage cells and tissues, potentially leading to cancer. In addition, excessive exposure to certain wavelengths of ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun can cause skin damage and increase the risk of skin cancer. It is important to take precautions and limit exposure to harmful forms of electromagnetic radiation.

Answer 3

Waves in the electromagnetic Spectrum are not usually dangerous. The EM spectrum goes all the way from Gamma and X-rays, which can be dangerous, to radio and microwaves, which can also be dangerous. It includes visible light, which can be dangerous also. However, you need quite a lot of it to pose a real threat, maybe except Gamma and X-rays. Maybe you mean an EMP (electromagnetic pulse). That is dangerous because it causes massive spikes in current in electronic equipment, destroying sensitive components such as microchips.

Answer 4

An electromagnetic movement is anything that isn't made of one of the 4 forms of matter, solid, liquid, gas, or plasma, or any thing that isn't a mechanical movement. An example of an electromagnetic movement is a light so stepping in front of a light doesnt hurt you does it?

Answer 5

Electromagnetic waves are generally classified in groups. Gamma rays and Xrays can be very harmful. Ultraviolet can give you burns. Visible light and radio waves (microwaves, tv waves ,cell phone waves etc) are generally considered safe but there is research being done on cell phone radio waves just because you hold the phone against your head when it sends out its waves.

Answer 6

The harm done to humans by EM radiation depends on the intensity and wavelength of the radiation.

Generally, short-wavelength (high frequency) radiation has more potential to damage human DNA than longer wavelengths. That's why UV radiation tends to promote skin cancer while visible light has no known tendency to do so. Short-wavelength radiation can also carry more energy than long-wavelength radiation of the same intensity.

Long-wavelength radiation is more known for its tendency to cause human tissue to heat up, which can cause death more quickly than short-wavelength radiation. Microwave energy is one example of this; fairly high-intensity microwaves are used to heat food in a microwave oven.

In general, but not as an absolute rule, high enough intensities of any EM radiation can be harmful to humans, but low intensities are usually benign.

Answer 7

There is no evidence at all that they are, certainly not in the very modest powers and low frequencies (mains or d.c.) most of us are ever likely to encounter.

If l.f. electromagnets were dangerous then workers in power-stations, metals-refineries, welding etc would have been succumbing in droves for the last 100 years or so.

Electromagnetic radiation at radio and higher frequencies, excepting visible light, can be harmful, but that is a different matter.

Answer 8

This depends largely on the energy of the photons of the radiation, which is directly proportional to its frequency. The higher this energy the deeper it can penetrate and the more damage it can do in there. This explanation grossly oversimplifies the situation, as many other factors influence which frequencies of electromagnetic radiation cause what damage, but this is the dominate factor. Many large books have been written on this subject.

1. radio, passes entirely through the body, but not enough energy per photon to cause effects
2. microwave, passes entirely through the body, enough energy per photon to cause internal heating
3. IR, absorbed by the skin (and cornea of the eye), causes warming in the skin
4. visible, absorbed by the skin and retina of the eye, causes warming in the skin and permits vision
5. UV, absorbed by the skin and cornea of the eye, causes vitamin D production and tanning and sunburn and cataracts and skin cancer
6. X-Rays, passes entirely through the body, causes ionization damage and free radical damage and many cancers, can cause radiation sickness or destroy the immune system in high acute dosages
7. gamma rays, passes entirely through the body, causes ionization damage and free radical damage and many cancers, can cause radiation sickness or destroy the immune system in high acute dosages

Answer 9

uv because they give you skin cancer

Answer 10

because the frequency