Electromagnetic radiation is characterized as?

Electromagnetic radiation is fundamentally characterized as bundles of energy known as photons that travel in waves. This means that it combines both electric and magnetic field components, which oscillate perpendicular to each other and to the direction of propagation. The wave nature of electromagnetic radiation encompasses a wide range of frequencies, from radio waves to gamma rays, all of which travel at the speed of light in a vacuum.

Understanding the wave theory of electromagnetic radiation is crucial because it helps explain various phenomena such as diffraction, interference, and the behavior of light. This concept also underlies many applications in technology, communications, and medical imaging. The other options do not accurately capture the nature of electromagnetic radiation, which is primarily wave-based rather than particle-based, charged, atomic, or solely chemical.