Editing Electromagnetic spectrum (section)

=== Rationale for names ===
Electromagnetic radiation interacts with matter in different ways across the spectrum. These types of interaction are so different that historically different names have been applied to different parts of the spectrum, as though these were different types of radiation. Thus, although these "different kinds" of electromagnetic radiation form a quantitatively continuous spectrum of frequencies and wavelengths, the spectrum remains divided for practical reasons arising from these qualitative interaction differences.

{| class="wikitable" width:70%; font-size:95%;
|+Electromagnetic radiation interaction with matter
|-
! Region of the spectrum
! Main interactions with matter
|-
|[[Radio wave|Radio]]
|Collective oscillation of charge carriers in bulk material ([[plasma oscillation]]). An example would be the oscillatory travels of the electrons in an [[antenna (radio)|antenna]].
|-
|nowrap|[[Microwave]] through far [[infrared]]
|Plasma oscillation, molecular rotation
|-
|Near [[infrared]]
|Molecular vibration, plasma oscillation (in metals only)
|-
|[[Light|Visible]]
|Molecular electron excitation (including pigment molecules found in the human retina), plasma oscillations (in metals only)
|-
|[[Ultraviolet]]
|Excitation of molecular and atomic valence electrons, including ejection of the electrons ([[photoelectric effect]])
|-
|[[X-ray]]s
|Excitation and ejection of core atomic electrons, [[Compton scattering]] (for low atomic numbers)
|-
|[[Gamma ray]]s
|Energetic ejection of core electrons in heavy elements, Compton scattering (for all atomic numbers), excitation of atomic nuclei, including dissociation of nuclei
|-
|nowrap|High-energy [[gamma ray]]s
|Creation of [[Virtual pair|particle-antiparticle pairs]]. At very high energies a single photon can create a shower of high-energy particles and antiparticles upon interaction with matter.
|}