Different types of electromagnetic radiation (X-rays, infrared, radio, etc.)

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The question asks about different types of electromagnetic radiation such as X-rays, infrared, and radio waves. Each option will be evaluated for its scientific accuracy.
Option 1: 'go faster than the speed of light' - In a vacuum, all electromagnetic radiation travels at the same universal speed, c. No EM wave can exceed c according to special relativity, so this statement is incorrect. In media, the phase velocity can differ, but the fundamental speed limit in vacuum remains c.
Option 2: 'have the same wavelength' - Different EM radiation types are distinguished by frequency (and thus wavelength). X-rays have much shorter wavelengths than visible light, infrared has longer wavelengths than visible light, and radio waves have even longer wavelengths. Therefore, asserting a single common wavelength is false.
Option 3: 'travel at different speeds in a vacuum' - In a vacuum, all EM waves propagate at the same speed, c. The idea that they travel at different speeds in vacuum contradicts Maxwellian electromagnetism and relativity, making this option incorrect.
Option 4: 'do not always obey the inverse square law' - The inverse square law describes how intensity decreases with distance for radiating sources in free space, assuming spherical spreading. For point sources in a homogeneous medium this holds reasonably well. Some situations (like near-field effects, waveguides, or non-point source configurations) can modify the simple 1/r^2 dependence, but the statement is ambiguous and often misleading when considering fundamental propagation in free space. On solid ground, this option is not a reliable general claim about EM radiation and is thus not correct as a general rule.
Option 5: 'have different amounts of energy for each photon' - This follows from E = hf, where frequency f (or equivalently, wavelength) determines the energy per photon. Since X-rays, infrared, and radio waves differ in frequency, their photons carry different energies. This statement is scientifically accurate and aligns with the quantum description of EM radiation.
In summary, the only statement that consistently reflects the fundamental properties of electromagnetic radiation across the spectrum is that photons have different energies depending on their frequency. The other options either contradict well-established physics or rely on conditions that do not apply to EM radiation in a vacuum.

ASTRON 2140 AU2025 (23428) Quiz 2 - 2025 Oct 10

Different types of electromagnetic radiation (X-rays, infrared, radio, etc.)

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