37 Irresistible Infrared Wave Facts For Every Science Enthusiast

Infrared light cannot be seen with the naked eye.

It can only be felt through the sense of touch. Infrared feels like heat when it comes in contact with a person's skin.

Infrared radiation has its applications in medicine because when it comes in contact with biological tissue, it causes a vibrating effect on the molecules. This produces heat and hikes up the temperature.

The depth of penetration of infrared radiation and its effects on the tissue depends on the wavelength of the light. This is also dependent on the absorption capacity of the water present in the body since the human body is mainly made up of water. To know more about infrared radiation, keep reading!

Infrared Light Wavelength

Infrared light has different wavelengths. There are three distinct wavelengths at which infrared radiation travel. Let us see what they are and learn more about these wavelengths of infrared radiation.

The first wavelength is termed the near-infrared. This infrared radiation region is the closest to the visible light spectrum.

The near-infrared has a wavelength of 0.78-2.5 μm. Each micrometer is equivalent to 10-6 m. A micrometer is also known as a micron.

The second wavelength is known as the middle infrared. This infrared region is further away from the wavelength of the visible light than the near-infrared.

The wavelength of the middle infrared is 2.5-50 μm. This wavelength has a range or spectrum of 47.5 μm or microns, much greater than the near-infrared.

The last region of infrared radiation is known as the far infrared. This wavelength is the farthest away from the spectrum of visible light.

The far infrared has a wavelength of 50-1000 μm. This makes the far-infrared wavelength the largest spectrum of all three infrared wavelengths, with a range of 950 μm.

Infrared radiation has continuous radiation. Any surface that emits heat is emitting infrared radiation in most cases.

When molecules get excited, it causes them to produce infrared radiation. This type of infrared radiation is copious. The spectrum for these infrared waves is discrete, and they follow a pattern of bands or lines.

The nature and spectrum of the wavelengths of infrared radiation depend on the nature of the infrared waves themselves.

Colors also have wavelengths, and the wavelengths of every color vary from the other.

Infrared Radiation Examples

Since infrared light is not visible light and is invisible rays, it isn't easy to realize when these are present in our daily lives. Some places can be hot spots for infrared waves, while these rays may be absent in other places.

In either case, we come in contact with infrared light through many different things in our daily lives. A few everyday items that emit infrared radiation are listed below.

The remote control makes for one of the most commonly used things that emit infrared radiation. With the help of these radiations, the remote control converts the commands into binary signals.

Optical fibers also use infrared. Here, the dangers of infrared radiation are pretty low since the infrared wavelength of optical fibers is much higher than the wavelength of visible light.

Infrared light is found most abundantly in natural sunlight. This type of infrared is far-infrared. As a result, the wavelength of natural sunlight does not have a harmful effect or any solar radiation.

Weather satellites also make use of infrared waves. These satellites have scanning radiometers fitted in them that can produce infrared images.

An ice cube can also radiate infrared. It is so because even an ice cube radiates some amount of heat.

Infrared cameras make use of infrared radiation to detect heat radiation. These infrared cameras can be used to detect animals, forest fires, and more. Infrared cameras use thermal imaging.

The process of infrared reflectography is popular in the profession of art. These are used to determine the authenticity of paintings.

When the microwave was first invented, it made use of infrared waves. Food could be heated up by the molecules radiated by infrared light. However, these were discontinued as they gave off hot air.

Infrared saunas are also becoming increasingly popular these days. Japan and Korea are hot spots for such infrared saunas.

Dangers Of Infrared

While the wavelength of infrared light is greater than that of the visible light spectrum, its frequency is greater than that of the visible light spectrum. Continuous exposure to infrared light can cause damage to humans and other living beings.

On some occasions, infrared waves can harm inanimate objects too. Let's look at the harmful effects of infrared light on humans.

Infrared radiation should be allowed to emit freely. When trapped, infrared can be more harmful. Taking an international aspect into consideration, trapped infrared leads to global warming.

People all over the world work in factories and industries. Some of these factories emit infrared radiation. As a result, the workers here are exposed to these radiations.

Prolonged exposure to such infrared radiation can cause eye damage. Hence, factory workers exposed to infrared have higher chances of damaged vision.

Human vision is sensitive to radiations of all types. Among these radiations, the most harm is done by those in an electromagnetic spectrum. It is so because the radiation intensity is higher in the electromagnetic spectrum.

Staring into infrared light can harm the cornea and lens inside the eye of a living being.

For the above reason, looking at the sun for a long time can be harmful to the eyes. The infrared light present in sunrays is part of the electromagnetic spectrum that directly affects the parts of the eye.

People who work in factories or in sunshine throughout the day are generally advised to wear shades to protect their eyes.

Apart from the eyes, this light in the electromagnetic spectrum can also cause serious damage to the skin as well as skin tissues.

Infrared waves have the same properties as heat waves. Infrared beams can be powerful enough to pierce metal. Hence, being more sensitive, human skin is more susceptible to infrared light.

Uses By Animals & Humans

Infrared radiation, in spite of having its dangers and harmful effects, has its benefits too. Because of its long list of pros, this electromagnetic radiation is used in a lot of ways by animals and humans.

The heat-emitting property of this electromagnetic spectrum can be used in daily applications. The list below mentions some of the use cases of infrared and their functionality.

All weather applications make use of this light in the electromagnetic spectrum. These applications use remote sensing, which is based on electromagnetic radiation.

Infrared radiation has facilitated the advancement in covert operations. All thermal bodies emit heat from them. This makes it easy to determine their presence using infrared detectors.

The detection of heat-emitting objects is not only restricted to this planet. Infrared astronomy deals with the heat emissions or infrared radiations from alien objects present in the universe.

In infrared astrology, telescopes are equipped with sensors. These sensors help to see through dusty matters of the universe, such as molecular clouds.

Through this type of astrology, new planets and objects can be discovered. Objects that are red-shifted and belong from the earlier times of the universe can also be detected through infrared telescopes.

Heaters also use infrared to produce thermal energy. Infrared is present in anything that emits heat.

Infrared cameras are also useful devices. They help in observing the changing flow of blood underneath the skin. These cameras also help to understand the overheating of an electrical gadget.

Infrared radiation has a growing demand in the spheres of civilian and military application. These include target acquisition, night vision, surveillance, tracking, and homing.

This radiation also has its uses in industrial areas, law enforcement, and scientific purposes. People all over the world leverage infrared radiation for the betterment of these sectors.

Medical Applications

Apart from having its uses in daily life, infrared radiation also has its uses in medical society. The infrared light of the sun is known to emit thermal radiation. This has its own medical applications. Thermal radiation is known to provide relief to various medical issues and pains. The following are the uses of infrared radiation in medical practices.

Infrared radiation helps to release muscle tension. It does so by promoting blood flow in the local area where the radiation is projected.

Infrared is radiated on those parts of the body which are inflamed or injured. A number of different wavelengths of infrared are used for this purpose.

The wavelengths of infrared therapy differ according to the amount of pain that the radiation aims to relieve. The wavelengths are usually between 0.03-0.039 in (780-1000 μm).

This radiation is used in the process of photo-biostimulation. In this process, the living tissue in the body responds to the energy of light in a biochemical way.

The living tissue is able to respond to infrared waves because of a phenomenon called the absorption of the respiratory chain component.

Ultraviolet rays are known to cause damage to the skin. However, this is not the case for infrared light. Infrared radiation does not cause any damage to the skin.

This radiation, when projected on the body, it helps in the circulation of the blood. This promotes the regeneration of blood cells.

It has been known to facilitate sleep in people who suffer from a lack of the same. It also reduces oxidative stress, which is a contributing factor to the loss of sleep.

This radiation helps in growing hair. It also heals ulcers and psoriasis. Better skin can be achieved through infrared radiation too.

Cancer treatments are often known to have certain side effects. One such side effect is oral mucositis. Infrared helps to reduce these effects.

FAQs

Q: Are infrared waves harmful?

A: Infrared waves can cause harm to the eyes when they are exposed to light for a long while.

Q: Why is infrared radiation important?

A: Half of the sun's energy on earth is in the form of infrared. Therefore, it is important to keep a balanced atmosphere and maintain stability in climate and temperature.

Q: How far can infrared travel?

A: The upper limit of the length of the infrared light is not known. The lower limit starts from the nominal edge of the red light in the spectrum of visible light, which is 700 nm to 0.03 in (1 mm).

Q: What color is infrared light?

A: Infrared light appears colorless to the naked eye. It is so because this light is not visible to the human eye.

Q: Is infrared safe for humans?

A: Although infrared radiation is safe for human skin, prolonged exposure can cause damage, especially to the eyes.

Q: What animal can see infrared waves?

A: Even though humans cannot see infrared waves, some other animals can. They are vampire bats, snakes, mosquitoes, bed bugs, and certain species of beetles.

Q: Why is infrared called infrared?

A: The word 'infrared' is derived from the Latin word 'infra,' which means 'below,' and the English word 'red.' It is named so because the wavelength of this light is below that of the visible red light.

Q: How can infrared technology see in the dark?

A: Infrared technology makes use of thermal imaging. By doing this, it can detect bodies and objects that radiate heat even in the dark.

Q: Can snakes see infrared?

A: Yes, certain species of snakes can see Infrared light.

Q: What is infrared trapping?

A: It is used in greenhouses. In this process, greenhouse gases are trapped, thus increasing the radiation of the troposphere level of the atmosphere. This increases the air temperature.