Frequency and penetrating power

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The relationship between the penetrating power of electromagnetic (EM) waves and their frequency is complex, with longer wavelengths generally penetrating further due to fundamental wave properties. However, higher frequency waves, like X-rays, exhibit greater penetration power despite their shorter wavelengths, as they interact with matter at a quantum level. At lower frequencies, EM waves primarily behave as waves, interacting with free electrons and causing a skin effect that limits penetration depth. In contrast, at very high frequencies, the particle nature of EM waves becomes significant, allowing photons to penetrate deeper due to their increased energy and momentum. Understanding this duality is crucial for grasping how wavelength influences absorption, reflection, and penetration of EM waves.
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How are penetrating power of a EM wave and its frequency related?
 
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What have you done to find the answer to this? And what part didn't you understand?
 
ElmorshedyDr said:
How are penetrating power of a EM wave and its frequency related?

Longer wavelengths penetrate further; it is a fundamental property of waves.
 
Vanadium 50 said:
What have you done to find the answer to this? And what part didn't you understand?
I know that waves of higher frequencies and shorter wavelengths have higher penetration power, I know the fact but I don't know the reason, I'm not even sure whether the fact is right or wrong
 
Last edited:
UltrafastPED said:
Longer wavelengths penetrate further; it is a fundamental property of waves.
Then why it always said that high frequency waves have high penetrating power just as x rays ??
Can you please explain how EM waves' wavelengths governs its absorption, reflection and penetration ??
 
UltrafastPED said:
Longer wavelengths penetrate further; it is a fundamental property of waves.

I'm pretty sure high-energy EM radiation doesn't follow this property.
 
There is the particle-wave duality.

At lower frequencies (say no more than afew Ghz) the EM-wave acts mainly as wave according to Maxwell's equations , interacts mainly with the free electrons of the matter and a well known phenomenon knows as skin effect arises where the EM-wave's electric field and the induced current density exist mainly in a very thin layer near the surface of the conductor. The depth of this thin layer is inversely proportional to the frequency of the EM wave.

At very high frequencies (afew hundred Ghz and further into the Thz realm) the particle nature of the EM-wave becomes predominant and the particles of the EM-wave known as photons interact in general with all the particles of the matter according to the laws of quantum physics. The higher the frequency of the EM wave, the more energy and momentum the photons have , thus the further into the material they can penetrate.
 

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