What is Infrared Radiation?

The benefit of the study of infrared radiation;

What are the uses of Infrared Radiation?

Infrared radiation is a part of the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light and shorter than microwaves. This wavelength corresponds to a frequency range of approximately 1 to 400 THz, including the most of the thermal radiation emitted by objects at room temperature.  

Source of Infrared Radiation IR:

1.    The primary source of infrared radiation is heat or thermal radiation;

2.    This radiation is produced by the motion of atoms and molecules in an object;

3.    The higher the temperature, the more the atoms and molecules move and the more the infrared radiation they produce;

4.    Infrared light is emitted or absorbed by molecules when they change their rotation-vibration movement;

5.    Much of the energy from the sun arrives on earth in the form of infrared radiation;

6.    The Earth’s surface and the clouds absorb visible and invisible radiation from the sun and re-emit much of the energy as infrared back to atmosphere;

7.    Certain substances in the atmosphere, particularly cloud droplets, water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride and chlorofluorocarbons absorb the Infrared and re-radiate it in all directions including back to Earth;

8.    Therefore the greenhouse effect keeps the atmosphere and Earth’s surface much warmer because of the absorption of the Infrared radiation and re-radiate it out of all directions.

Uses of Infrared Radiation:

1.    Infrared light is used in industrial, scientific, and medical applications;

2.    Night-vision devices using infrared illumination allow people or animals to be observed without detecting the observer;

3.    In astronomy, the imaging at infrared wavelengths allows to observe obscured objects by interstellar dust, and infrared imaging cameras can be used to detect the heat loss in insulated systems, observe changing blood flow in the skin and also the overheating of electrical apparatus;

4.    Visible light is one of the few types of radiation that can penetrate the atmosphere and be detected on the earth’s surface but there are forms of radiation or light which we are not able to see.

Electromagnetic spectrum:

1.    The light we see with our eyes is a small portion of what is called the electromagnetic spectrum;

2.    This includes all types of radiation from the X-rays used at hospitals to radio waves used for communication and also the microwaves used for cooking food.

Electromagnetic radiation:

1.    The electromagnetic radiation is categorized by wavelength;

2.    Shorter wavelength radiation is of the highest energy and can be very harmful and dangerous;

3.    Gamma, X-rays and Ultraviolet represent the short wavelength radiation, while the longer wavelength radiation such as radio, microwaves and infrared is less harmful and less danger;

4.    A rainbow is the optical part of Electromagnetic Spectrum, the infrared would be located just beyond the red side of the rainbow;

5.    Even that the infrared is not visible but humans can sense it as heat.

Study of infrared radiation:

1.    The study of Infrared radiation is especially useful for Astronomers when they try to probe areas in the universe that are surrounded by clouds of gas and dust;

2.    The longer infrared wavelength can pass right through these clouds and then reveal details invisible by observing other types of radiation;

3.    In the field of climatology, atmospheric infrared is monitored to detect trends in the energy exchange between the earth and the atmosphere;

4.    These trends provide information on long changes in the earth’s climate.

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