What are the differences and similarities of the light, infrared and radio telescope?

Question

This is for a school assignment and I am planning to present the information in a Venn diagram.

Answer 1

Similarities: Visible light, infrared and radio waves are all electromagnetic radiation, particles called photons, each moving at the same speed 299,792,458 m/s!

Differences: The wavelength, frequency and energy. The wavelength is opposite proportional the the frequency and the energy. Out of these three, radio waves have the longest wavelength, lowest frequency and lowest energy, next comes infrared and then visible light!

Another difference is the shape of the telescopes.

Answer 2

Light, infrared light and radio waves are all types of electromagnetic radiation and are similar to the light we see. These three terms relate to different wavelengths of light.

"Light" probably refers to visible light, which is a narrow part of the electromagnetic spectrum that humans can see visually.

Infrared light has a larger wavelength or frequency than visible light, and radio waves have an even larger wavelength/frequency. However, since our eyes aren't designed to see these specific wavelengths they are pretty much invisible.

Telescopes have been designed to see infrared and radio electromagnetic radiation, however it isn't as simple as a regular telescope. Classic telescopes gather visible light and allow humans to see fainter objects in our visible light spectrum. Radio and infrared telescopes only collect electromagnetic radiation in certain wavelengths.

Also, remember that a "radio telescope" isn't the same as listening to a radio. The common AM and FM radios broadcast in the "radio wave" part of the electromagnetic spectrum, and then translate these waves into talk-shows or music. Radio telescopes don't convert the radio waves into music/shows/et cetera like common household radios.