ELI5: What is electromagnetic radiation?

Imagine you're throwing a pebble into a still pond. It makes ripples, right? Electromagnetic radiation is like those ripples, but instead of water, it's ripples in something called the electromagnetic field, which is all around us!

This field is made of two things: electricity and magnetism, working together.

These "ripples" are actually tiny packets of energy called photons. They travel super fast – at the speed of light!

So, where do we see these ripples in everyday life? Everywhere!

• Light is electromagnetic radiation. When you turn on a lamp, it sends out these ripples, and your eyes can see them. Different colors of light are just different kinds of ripples (different wavelengths).

• Heat from a fire or the sun is also electromagnetic radiation, but we feel it instead of seeing it. This is called infrared radiation.

• Radio waves that your radio uses to play music or your phone uses to make calls are electromagnetic radiation too! They have much longer wavelengths than visible light.

• Microwaves in your microwave oven use electromagnetic radiation to heat up your food.

• X-rays used by doctors to see your bones are also electromagnetic radiation, but with very short wavelengths.