these phenomena is a part of the electromagnetic spectrum, waves of varying energies created by the movement of electrically charged particles, often electrons within atoms Such movement creates electrical and magnetic fields that radiate, or spread out, as waves And conversely, when such energetic waves hit other atoms, they cause increased movement in those atoms One of the first to recognize that heat radiation is related to light was the English oboist and astronomer William Herschel, who noticed in 1800 that if a thermometer was moved from one end of a prism-produced light spectrum to the other, the highest temperatures would register below the red band, where no light was visible Because of its position in the spectrum, heat radiation is called infrared (infra is Latin for “below”) Different Kinds of Radiation Carry Different Amounts of Energy Different kinds of radiation carry different energies, and the energy of a given kind of radiation determines the kind of effect that it will have At the bottom end of the scale, radio waves are so weak that they can only cause increased movement in free electrons This is why metal antennas and their mobile electrons are necessary to transmit and receive such radiation Next come microwaves, which are energetic enough to set polar molecules like water moving faster (Microwave refers to the fact that their wavelength is shorter than radio wavelengths.) Since most foods are mostly water molecules, microwave radiation is an effective means of cooking Then there’s heat radiation, the cook’s standard energy source, which causes the increased movement of nonpolar molecules — including carbohydrates, proteins, and fats — as well as polar ...kinds of radiation carry different energies, and the energy of a given kind of radiation determines the kind of effect that it will have At the bottom end of the scale, radio waves are so weak that they can only... waves are so weak that they can only cause increased movement in free electrons This is why metal antennas and their mobile electrons are necessary to transmit and receive such radiation Next come microwaves, which are... means of cooking Then there’s heat radiation, the cook’s standard energy source, which causes the increased movement of nonpolar molecules — including carbohydrates, proteins, and fats — as well as polar