Applications of the electromagnetic spectrum classes
The next list presents some examples of the uses of the different classes of the electromagnetic spectrum.
# | Class | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gamma rays | 30 EHz | 300 EHz | Sterilize medical equipment | Sterilize food (irradiated food) | Used as tracers in medicine | Radio Therapy in oncology (to kill cancerous cells) | Gamma-Ray Astronomy |
| 2 | Hard X-rays | 3 EHz | 30 EHz | Image the inside of objects | Medical radiography | Airport security |
| 3 | Soft X-rays | 300 PHz | 3 EHz | Researching the elemental composition and structure of biological samples |
| 4 | Soft X-rays | 30 PHz | 300 PHz | Researching the elemental composition and structure of biological samples |
| 5 | Extreme ultraviolet | 3 PHz | 30 PHz | Photoelectron spectroscopy | Solar imaging | Lithography |
| 6 | Near ultraviolet / visible | 300 THz | 3 PHz | Visible Light |
| 7 | Near infrared | 30 THz | 300 THz | Night vision | Thermography | Hyperspectral imaging | Tracking | Heating | Cooling | Communications | Spectroscopy | Thin film metrology | Meteorology | Climatology | Astronomy | Infrared cleaning | Art conservation and analysis | Biological systems | Photobiomodulation | Health hazards |
| 8 | Mid infrared | 3 THz | 30 THz | Night vision | Thermography | Hyperspectral imaging | Tracking | Heating | Cooling | Communications | Spectroscopy | Thin film metrology | Meteorology | Climatology | Astronomy | Infrared cleaning | Art conservation and analysis | Biological systems | Photobiomodulation | Health hazards |
| 9 | Far infrared | 300 GHz | 3 THz | Experimental medical imaging to replace X-rays | Ultrafast molecular dynamics | Condensed-matter physics | Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy | Terahertz computing/communications | Remote sensing |
| 10 | Extremely high frequency | 30 GHz | 300 GHz | Radio astronomy | High-frequency microwave radio relay | Microwave remote sensing | Amateur radio | Directed-energy weapon | Millimeter wave scanner | Wireless LAN (802.11ad) |
| 11 | Super high frequency | 3 GHz | 30 GHz | Radio astronomy | Microwave devices/communications | Wireless LAN | DSRC | Most modern radars | Communications satellites | Cable and satellite television broadcasting | DBS | Amateur radio | Satellite radio |
| 12 | Ultra high frequency | 300 MHz | 3 GHz | TV broadcasts | Microwave oven | Microwave devices/communications | Radio astronomy | Mobile phones | Wireless LAN | Bluetooth | ZigBee | GPS and two-way radios such as land mobile | FRS and GMRS radios | Amateur radio | Satellite radio | Remote control Systems | ADSB |
| 13 | Very high frequency | 30 MHz | 300 MHz | FM | TV broadcasts | Line-of-sight ground-to-aircraft and aircraft-to-aircraft communications | Land mobile and maritime mobile communications | Amateur radio | Weather radio |
| 14 | High frequency | 3 MHz | 30 MHz | Shortwave broadcasts | Citizens band radio | Amateur radio and over-the-horizon aviation communications | RFID | Over-the-horizon radar | Automatic link establishment (ALE) / near-vertical incidence skywave (NVIS) radio communications | Marine and mobile radio telephony |
| 15 | Medium frequency | 300 kHz | 3 MHz | AM (medium-wave) broadcasts | Amateur radio | Avalanche beacons |
| 16 | Low frequency | 30 kHz | 300 kHz | Navigation | Time signals | AM longwave broadcasting (Europe and parts of Asia) | RFID | Amateur radio |
| 17 | Very low frequency | 3 kHz | 30 kHz | Navigation | Time signals | Submarine communication | Wireless heart rate monitors | Geophysics |
| 18 | Ultra low frequency | 300 Hz | 3 kHz | Submarine communication | Mines communication |
| 19 | Super low frequency | 30 Hz | 300 Hz | Submarine communication |
| 20 | Extremely low frequency | 3 Hz | 30 Hz | Submarine communication |