Electromagnetic radiation is characterized by a broad range of wavelengths and frequencies, each associated with a specific intensity (or amplitude) and quantity of energy. An electromagnetic wave moves or propagates in a direction that is at right angles to the vibrations of both the electric and magnetic oscillating field vectors, carrying energy from its radiation source to undetermined final
. destination. The two fields are mutually perpendicular. By convention, and to simplify illustrations, the vectors representing the electric and magnetic oscillating fields of electromagnetic waves are often omitted, although they are understood to still exist. The standard unit for all electromagnetic radiation is the magnitude of the wavelength (in a vacuum), which is usually reported in terms of nanometers for the visible light portion of the spectrum.
