Reference no: EM133250148

We often take for granted that when we speak the sound will travel to whomever we are chatting with and that we can see objects around us. In both cases waves are carrying the information that our ears and eyes are able to intercept, and our brain is able to process. When we start to think more about waves it turns out that they are all around us. Some we would consider beneficial such as the sound waves and electromagnetic waves in the visible spectrum that allow us to hear and see. Others would be considered problematic such as the waves that carry the destructive energy of an earthquake or large tsunamis that can wipe out coastal areas. The sun, like other stars, emits the entire spectrum of electromagnetic waves containing energy in all directions which provides energy for life on earth to flourish, but it can also pose a threat. Solar flares are large emissions from the sun that send large amounts of energy towards the earth all at once. Sometimes these emissions interact with the earth's magnetic field to create auroras such as the aurora borealis that can be seen at night. But if the sun's emissions are large enough, they are called coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and the electromagnetic energy they emit can interfere with transformers, satellite communications, and electronic devices.

What is one type of wave to research and how it impacts our lives, and if these impacts are positive or negative?