How do electromagnetic waves transfer energy to matter?

Answer 1

Electromagnetic waves transfer energy by acting on "stuff" electromagnetically. This means that electromagnetic radiation (EMR) will "give energy" to something by breaking chemical bonds, providing activating energy to initiate a reaction, or simply "stimulate" chemical bonds to add energy. Will examples help? Got some right here. Light, which is a form of EMR, causes chemical reactions on the structures on the retina of our eyes so we can see. Colors, too! Nothing short of magic, almost. That's EMR initiating chemical reactions. The same thing happens on photographic film. In the new CCD (charged coupled device) cameras, light impinges on semiconductor material and (through photovoltaic action) cause a minute amount of current flow and the electronics figures out how light or dark to make the pixel. Color encoding is an extension of this. In a microwave oven, EMR "tickles" the chemical bonds in water molecules and transfers energy into them. This appears as thermal energy and we can heat our coffee, tea, or toddy with an ease unknown (but possibly suspected) to the most advanced people a hundred years ago. The same thing happens when you're in the sun and your skin warms. The light (EMR) warms the skin by stimulating chemical bonds and causing them to exhibit more kinetic energy. The key to understanding how electromagnetic energy gets transfered into materials is in understanding the sites in the material that will respond to the EMR. This is quantum mechanical stuff, pure and simple. But it really doesn't take an advanced degree to get a handle on it. It breaks down in a way that we can wrap a brain cell around it without any advanced mathematics. We'll add some links in case you feel like exploring. You'll find them below.

Answer 2

no

There is however some disagreement here. For instance light has been shown to have momentum, and in photoionzation it produces ion particles, which by e=mc^2 have energy.

Lasers also transfer energy.

The dichotomy is in the old 'duality' of light, photons are particles made of waves which are made of particles which are waves... etc. A consistent interpretation is that of Roger Penrose who has shown 'conserved' photons cannot logically exist isf physics is to be unified. So light emitted in quanta may 'blend in' as just waves till re-absorbed and re-emitted. ('Coupling' or 'Atomic scattering').

Optical Science uses different assumptions (experimentally based) to 'Theoretical Physics'. It is still all quite poorly understood.

Answer 3

Yes. Only If You Shake It Faster and the Amplitude Will Rise Also! <(^^,)>

Answer 4

Electromagnetic waves transfer energy to matter by heating up matter and changing configuration of matter including fission, breaking matter up.

Answer 5

Yes of course

Answer 6

radiant energy