I've read from several sources that electromagnetic radiation begins to have an "ionizing" effect right around the time the frequency passes the uv spectrum and into x-ray/gamma ray spectrum. [1] [2] [3]

However, the reasoning given for this is that the higher frequency waves contain more energy, enough to tear apart molecular bonds.

When I compare this to sound waves it makes sense because high pitched sounds are more damaging to human ears than low pitched sounds are. [4]

However just because a high pitched sound may cause you to go deaf more easily that doesn't mean my ears would enjoy standing 3 feet away from a 12,000-watt sub-woofer playing a low pitched sound.

In other words, I understand high-frequency waves contain more energy by nature, but if you ramp up the amplitude of the low-frequency waves they can start to do harm too.

So with electromagnetic radiation is there a point that I could say produce infrared waves that would also be ionizing? Or is there something that is inherently different about high-frequency em waves that cause the ionizing effect?

I've read from several sources that electromagnetic radiation begins to have an "ionizing" effect right around the time the frequency passes the uv spectrum and into x-ray/gamma ray spectrum. [1] [2] [3]

The reasoning given for this is that the higher frequency waves contain more energy, enough to tear apart molecular bonds.

When I compare this to sound waves it makes sense because high pitched sounds are more damaging to human ears than low pitched sounds are. [4]

However just because a high pitched sound may cause you to go deaf more easily, this doesn't mean my ears would enjoy standing 3 feet away from a 12,000-watt sub-woofer playing a low pitched sound.

In other words, I understand high-frequency waves contain more energy by nature, but if you ramp up the amplitude of the low-frequency waves they can start to do harm too.

So with electromagnetic radiation is there a point that I could say produce infrared waves that would also be ionizing? Or is there something that is inherently different about high-frequency em waves that cause the ionizing effect?

I've read from several sources that electromagnetic radiation begins to have an "ionizing" effect right around the time the frequency passes the uv spectrum and into x-ray/gamma ray spectrum. [1] [2] [3]

However the reasoning given for this is that the higher frequency waves contain more energy, enough to tear apart molecular bonds.

When I compare this to sound waves it makes sense because high pitched sounds are more damaging to human ears than low pitched sounds are. [4]

However just because a high pitched sound may cause you to go deaf more easily that doesn't mean my ears would enjoy standing 3 feet away from a 12,000 watt sub-woofer playing a low pitched sound.

In other words I understand high frequency waves contain more energy by nature, but if you ramp up the amplitude of the low frequency waves they can start to do harm too.

So with electromagnetic radiation is there a point that I could say produce infrared waves that would also be ionizing? Or is there something that is inherently different about high frequency em waves that cause the ionizing effect?

I've read from several sources that electromagnetic radiation begins to have an "ionizing" effect right around the time the frequency passes the uv spectrum and into x-ray/gamma ray spectrum. [1] [2] [3]

However, the reasoning given for this is that the higher frequency waves contain more energy, enough to tear apart molecular bonds.

When I compare this to sound waves it makes sense because high pitched sounds are more damaging to human ears than low pitched sounds are. [4]

However just because a high pitched sound may cause you to go deaf more easily that doesn't mean my ears would enjoy standing 3 feet away from a 12,000-watt sub-woofer playing a low pitched sound.

In other words, I understand high-frequency waves contain more energy by nature, but if you ramp up the amplitude of the low-frequency waves they can start to do harm too.

So with electromagnetic radiation is there a point that I could say produce infrared waves that would also be ionizing? Or is there something that is inherently different about high-frequency em waves that cause the ionizing effect?

I've read from several sources that electromagnetic radiation begins to have an "ionizing" effect right around the time the frequency passes the uv spectrum and into x-ray/gamma ray spectrum. [1] [2] [3]

However the reasoning given for this is that the higher frequency waves contain more energy, enough to tear apart molecular bonds.

When I compare this to sound waves it makes sense because high pitched sounds are more damaging to human ears than low pitched sounds are. [4]

However just because a high pitched sound may cause you to go deaf more easily that doesn't mean my ears would enjoy standing 3 feet away from a 12,000 watt sub-woofer playing a low pitched sound.

In other words I understand high frequency waves contain more energy by nature, but if you ramp up the amplitude of the low frequency waves they can start to do harm too.

So with electromagnetic radiation is there a point that I could say produce infrared waves that would also be ionizing? Or is there something that is inherently different about high frequency em waves that cause the ionizing effect?

I've read from several sources that electromagnetic radiation begins to have an "ionizing" effect right around the time the frequency passes the uv spectrum and into x-ray/gamma ray spectrum. [1] [2] [3]

However the reasoning given for this is that the higher frequency waves contain more energy, enough to tear apart molecular bonds.

When I compare this to sound waves it makes sense because high pitched sounds are more damaging to human ears than low pitched sounds are. [4]

However just because a high pitched sound may cause you to go deaf more easily that doesn't mean my ears would enjoy standing 3 feet away from a 12,000 watt sub-woofer playing a low pitched sound.

In other words I understand high frequency waves contain more energy by nature, but if you ramp up the amplitude of the low frequency waves they can start to do harm too.

So with electromagnetic radiation is there a point that I could say produce infrared waves that would also be ionizing? Or is there something that is inherently different about high frequency em waves that cause the ionizing effect?