Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books
A Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology

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wavelengths

The electromagnetic spectrum consisting of a continuous range of electromagnetic waves travelling at the speed of light, or approximately 186,300 miles per second. The length of these waves ranges from several miles (low frequency radio transmissions) to as short as 10^-12 cm (γ-rays). Wavelengths may be expressed in centimeters; however, the shorter wavelengths are more commonly expressed in Ångstrom (Å) units, defined as 1 Å = 1 x 10^-8 cm.

Approximate wavelengths for various types are: 

                     Wavelength
   Type             in Centimeters             In Å
y-rays             10^-12     to  10^-10          0.01
X-rays             10^-9      to  10^-7           0.1 to 10
Ultraviolet light  10^-6      to  4 X 10^-5       100 to 4,000
Visible light      4 X 10^-5  to  8 X 10^-5     4,000 to 8,000
Infrared light     8 X 10^-5  to  0.1           8,000
Radio waves        1 to 10^5
(195 )




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