Do mobile phones (cell phones) emit harmful radiation or electromagnetic fields?
*headdesk*Okay, so, in the hundreds of times this has been asked on Quora, the answer has not changed. Just in case you were wondering. It is possible to search Quora for questions before you ask them yourself. This one is overdone as much as the “My IQ is XXX, is that good?” Probably more.So.Here’s the thing.Cellphones utilize microwave frequencies usually between 450 MHz and 1,900 MHz. This means that they are on the non-ionizing portion of the EM Spectrum; the ionizing portion includes Gammas and X-rays.You’ll notice that visible light is closer to being ionizing than microwaves are. Literally, you’re more at risk from your lightbulbs than you are your cellphone. So don’t freak out over cellphone radiation. It’s fine. It cannot hurt you.“But the WHO and [random organization] have stated that they are potentially carcinogenic!” This means nothing. Don’t fool yourself. Because those organizations also state that there is no scientific research that backs up that they might actually be carcinogenic.What this means is:There is no reason in the first place to have ever made the statement that they are harmful, because nothing scientific suggests that they are.They can’t prove that they aren’t harmful, as you are trying to prove something in a void; you also can’t prove that Bigfoot doesn’t exist.However, scientific evidence suggests that cellular radiation is not carcinogenic, as there is yet to be a scientific study suggesting that they are.“What about heating?” If it could damage you with heating, you’d notice everything around the phone getting hot, too. Phones do get hot at times, but this is easily traceable back to battery discharge. Phones simply do not have enough power to hurt you via heating.If the radiation cannot ionize your cells (it can’t) and it can’t noticeably heat your body (it can’t) then there is no further mechanism of damage for the radiation to harm you. If you want to make the claim that cellular radiation is dangerous, you also need to provide a mechanism of damage, or else I’ll probably just laugh at you for being anti-science.That last bit wasn’t directed at you,OP.
What is electromagnetic radiation? In english that we all can understand.. :P?
Electromagnetic radiation is a fancy name for light. It comes in several types, like gamma rays, X-rays, UV rays, visible light, IR light, and radio. All of those are different kinds of the same thing, but with different energies. When you listen to the radio, for example, your radio is receiving electromagnetic radiation being broadcast from the radio station. It then converts the radio waves into sound. The connection with satellites depends on what you were reading about. A lot of satellites detect some kind of EM radiation. Sometimes, too much background radio radiation (from the Sun, for example) will make it too difficult for satellites to communicate with Earth.
Why do electromagnetic signals i.e. FM radio and AM radio lose strength over distance?
Why can't I listen to an FM or AM radio station from 1000 miles away? What causes the signals to lose power? Obstructions? Curvature of the Earth? Do microwaves, x-rays, & gamma-rays have the same problems? Does higher-frequency overcome that problem? If I blast an FM signal into outer space, would I pick it up on the moon if it were a straight shot (no barriers)? And lastly, if there is intelligent life besides earth, would factors with this loss of signal be a hindrance to our endeavor to pick up these signals with the SETI program?
Can tooth fillings cause a upset in the electromagnetic field?
Yes, tooth fillings can change an EM field.A basic example is a dental x-ray—which is simply a form of high-energy light (or EM wave). The x-rays will usually be blocked by metal and most older tooth fillings are metallic (amalgams). Even the more modern resins seem to show differently on a dental x-ray.—from I’ve had my Fill of this stuffAs for some old tooth fillings being able to receive radio signals—yes, this is pretty much an accepted phenomenon, rare but explainable (Radio signals picked up by tooth fillings). So in that instance again, the filling would influence the EM wave by reducing its transmitted power on the other side of the filling which absorbed the energy and transferred it to mechanical vibrations.When the OP referred to “the electromagnetic field” I am assuming an EM wave, but it can just as easily be shown to interfere with an E field (metals will conduct electricity) and possibly a large M field (they may show up on MRIs).
What is the difference between a photon and an electron?
I had the same question. When I researched this at @Electricity is energy [the real title of the article is "Electricity Is NOT Energy"], I found out that electrons are tiny particles of matter. They are the bits of matter within an atom that vibrate around the nucleus of an atom. Electrons can also fly about freely or travel slowly and are not just found within atoms. In a copper wire, for example, they can be found loose, outside atoms, traveling slowly, a few inches per minute. Electrons have a negative charge, which means only that they move away from other negatively charged matter (other electrons) and are drawn to positively charged matter (protons, often ones in the nuclei of atoms). But photons are units (packets of energy) of an electromagnetic wave. They are not bits of matter. A type of photon that we experience very intimately all the time is the photons of visible light. These hit our retina and cause chemical changes or hit a photographic plate. In both cases, the photons create chemical changes which ultimately create images. Light is just one type of electromagnetic energy. Other types of electromagnetic energy are X-rays (a high-energy wave), waves that carry radio signals and TV signals, microwaves in a microwave oven, etc. All of the bits of energy that are associated with these waves are photons. Photons have neither negative nor positive charge. They are not matter and have no mass. They travel the speed of light when in a vacuum like in outer space (which is not a complete vacuum, really). But they can travel much slower when traveling through a medium like water or even air. Photons and electrons interact to create flows of electricity. Both are involved. Electricity is not merely a flow of electrons in a wire; it is also a flow of photons in an electromagnetic wave.