Electromagnetic Spectrum Explorer
Slide across the whole electromagnetic spectrum — from radio waves to gamma rays — and watch wavelength, frequency, photon energy and visible color change together. The same physics links a 532 nm green laser, a 2.45 GHz microwave oven and a medical X-ray.
The electromagnetic spectrum
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How it works
Wavelength (λ), frequency (f) and photon energy (E) are three views of the same wave. They are linked by f = c / λ and E = h·c / λ, where c is the speed of light and h is the Planck constant. Short waves (gamma, X-rays) carry high frequency and high energy; long waves (radio) carry low frequency and low energy. Only a thin slice — roughly 380 to 750 nm — is visible to the human eye.
About this explorer
The electromagnetic spectrum spans more than 17 orders of magnitude in wavelength, so we lay it out on a logarithmic bar. Drag the marker or pick a preset to move from gamma rays on the left to radio waves on the right, and read the matching frequency, photon energy, band and — inside the visible window — the actual color of that light.
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