electromagnetic wave

Definition of electromagnetic wave

: one of the waves that are propagated by simultaneous periodic variations of electric and magnetic field intensity and that include radio waves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays

Examples of electromagnetic wave in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Invisible electromagnetic waves are all around us, powering everything from TV antennas to microwave ovens. — Jacob Demmitt, Washington Post, "Tech startup hopes to turn NASA funding into big business," 17 Aug. 2019 What if Mando uses some other type of electromagnetic wave? — Wired, "How the Mandalorian Might See Through Walls," 10 Dec. 2019 The electromagnetic wave that is the sunlight interacts with comet dust in essentially the same way. — Rhett Allain, WIRED, "The Physics of Falling Magnets in Stranger Things Season 3," 9 Aug. 2019 In general, electromagnetic waves are produced when an oscillating electric field creates an oscillating magnetic field, which creates an oscillating electric field. — Wired, "How the Mandalorian Might See Through Walls," 10 Dec. 2019 Moreover, oscillating currents tend to radiate electromagnetic waves. — Frank Wilczek, Scientific American, "The Exquisite Precision of Time Crystals," 16 Oct. 2019 Vision, for example, is based on our sensitivity to light: electromagnetic waves that lie within a specific range of frequencies. — Lisa Randall, Scientific American, "What Is Dark Matter?," 8 May 2018 Isolators are like one-way valves for electromagnetic waves. — Jacob Demmitt, Washington Post, "Tech startup hopes to turn NASA funding into big business," 17 Aug. 2019 Ripples in the field can be treated as electromagnetic waves or radiation or light. — Peter Byrne, Quanta Magazine, "Waiting for the Revolution," 24 May 2013

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'electromagnetic wave.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near electromagnetic wave

electromagnetic spectrum

electromagnetic theory of light

Statistics for electromagnetic wave

Last Updated

3 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Electromagnetic wave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/electromagnetic%20wave. Accessed 17 Feb. 2020.

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More Definitions for electromagnetic wave

electromagnetic wave

noun