Electromagnetic Radiation - DOE-HDBK-1109-97

DOE-HDBK-1109-97

Radiological Safety Training for Radiation-Producing (X-Ray) Devices

Student's Guide

ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION

Types of Electromagnetic Radiation.

X-rays are a type of electromagnetic radiation. Other types of electromagnetic radiation

are radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, and gamma rays. The

types of radiation are distinguished by the amount of energy carried by the individual

photons.

All electromagnetic radiation consists of photons, which are individual packets of

energy. For example, a household light bulb emits about 1021 photons of light (non-

ionizing radiation) per second.

The energy carried by individual photons, which is measured in electron volts (eV), is

related to the frequency of the radiation. Different types of electromagnetic radiation

and their typical photon energies are listed in the following table.