How does electromagnetic energy differ from other energy sources?

Question

Claire Anctil · Accepted Answer

It travels very fast (at the speed of light) and requires no wires (or any medium) to be transferred.

The most common energy source is probably electricity (technically a secondary energy source since it is derived from other sources) but it serves the purpose here as you can see that it requires infrastructure to transport it (wires) and it moves at about 1/3 the speed of light. E-m radiation can travel through a vacuum (e.g. the Sun illuminates the earth through the vacuum of space.)

Josiah Adams · Answer

undefined Electromagnetic energy differs from other energy sources in that it is a form of energy associated with the electromagnetic force, encompassing a wide range of frequencies including visible light, radio waves, microwaves, X-rays, and gamma rays. Other energy sources, such as thermal energy, mechanical energy, chemical energy, and nuclear energy, arise from different physical processes or interactions.