The difference between electromagnetic radiation and ionizing radiation

Recently, Apple in Europe has been in a lot of trouble because of the radiation problem of iPhone 12. The French government has banned the sales of iPhone 12 in France.

But actually don’t worry too much, the amount of radiation is not as large as that of a microwave oven.

Electromagnetic radiation and ionizing radiation are both related to energy transfer and radiation phenomena, but there are some key differences between them. Here’s a brief overview of both:

Radiation Nature

Electromagnetic radiation: It is produced by the accelerated motion of charged particles and includes broadcast waves, microwaves, infrared rays, visible light, ultraviolet rays, X-rays and gamma rays. These are all different forms of electromagnetic waves and energy that travel in the form of waves.

Ionizing radiation: It refers to radiation with sufficient energy to remove tightly bound electrons from atoms or molecules, causing the atoms or molecules to become charged or ionized. Examples of ionizing radiation include alpha particles, beta particles, gamma rays, and X-rays.

radiant energy

Electromagnetic radiation: It can be of very low energy (like radio waves) or very high energy (like gamma rays).

Ionizing radiation: Its energy is usually high enough to ionize matter.

Radiation source

Electromagnetic radiation: comes from a wide range of sources, including the sun, light bulbs, radios, and microwave ovens.

Ionizing radiation: usually comes from radioactive materials, nuclear reactions, or certain high-energy devices (such as X-ray machines).

Effects of Radiation on the Human Body

Electromagnetic radiation: Low-energy electromagnetic radiation (such as radio waves, microwaves) is generally considered safe for the human body. However, high-energy electromagnetic radiation, such as X-rays and gamma rays, can ionize matter and potentially cause damage to biological tissue.

Ionizing radiation: It can cause damage to biological tissue and increase the risk of cancer. Therefore, exposure to ionizing radiation often requires special protection and monitoring.

TLDR; The difference between electromagnetic radiation and ionizing radiation

Electromagnetic radiation is emitted by a vibrating electromagnetic field and is a directional property that alternately emits and propagates electromagnetic waves, including radio waves, microwaves, light, etc.; and ionizing radiation is released by the surface of an object due to the action of external energy. Including cosmic rays, X-rays, γ-rays, etc.

Simply put, electromagnetic radiation is a broader category that includes both ionizing and non-ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation refers specifically to radiation that has enough energy to ionize matter.

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