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What can cause electromagnetic energy to degrade as it travels through the air?

Answer 1

Distance from origin.

Electromagnetic radiation follows the Inverse Square law wherein it's intensity is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the origin. (proportional to #1/r^2#). This causes attenuation of the energy that you describe.

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Answer 2

Clara Avalos

Electromagnetic energy can degrade as it travels through the air due to factors such as absorption, scattering, and reflection by atmospheric particles and molecules, as well as absorption by moisture and gases in the atmosphere.

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Answer from HIX Tutor

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.