Final answer:
The electromagnetic spectrum encompasses a continuous range of electromagnetic radiation, from radio waves to gamma rays, categorized by their different wavelengths and frequencies. Visible light is only a small part of this spectrum. The spectrum is crucial in physics as it helps to explain the energy and behavior of electromagnetic radiation in various forms.
Step-by-step explanation:
The electromagnetic spectrum is a continuous range of energies that electromagnetic radiation can comprise. This includes a vast range of wavelengths and frequencies such as radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays. Due to the relationship between energy, frequency, and wavelength, we know that electromagnetic radiation energy is proportional to the frequency and inversely proportional to the wavelength. Therefore, the spectrum can be identified by both ranges of frequencies and wavelengths.
Objects in the universe emit an enormous range of electromagnetic radiation. To understand this variety, scientists have divided the electromagnetic spectrum into categories, each with unique properties and effects. Visible light, which our eyes can detect, is just a small part of the spectrum with wavelengths between 400-700 nm.
Electromagnetic radiation travels through space at the speed of light and consists of waves propagated through regularly varying electric and magnetic fields. The terms energy flux and energy levels are associated with how much energy is passing through a unit area per second and the specific levels of energy an electron can have, respectively.