Infrared Waves
What Are They?
A remote control uses light waves just beyond the visible spectrum of light—infrared light waves—to change channels on your TV. This region of the spectrum is divided into near-, mid-, and far-infrared. The region from 8 to 15 microns is referred to by Earth scientists as thermal infrared since these wavelengths are best for studying the longwave thermal energy radiating from our planet.
How They're Made
Infra red waves are just below visible red light in the electromagnetic spectrum ("Infra" means "below"). Infra Red waves are given off by heat, or hot objects, stars, lamps, flames and anything else that's warm.
Uses
IR waves are used for many tasks such as, remote controls for TVs and video recorders. Physiotherapists also use heat lamps to help heal sports injuries. IR is also used for short-range communications, for example between mobile phones, or for the Dolby Screentalk headset system used in some cinemas. Because every object gives off IR waves, we can use them to see in the dark. Night sights for weapons sometimes use a sensitive IR detector. "Passive Infra-Red" (PIR) detectors are used in burglar alarm systems, and to control the security lighting that many people have fitted outside their houses. These cameras use Infra-Red waves instead of "ordinary" light, which is why people look bright in these pictures. Similar cameras are also used by fire crews and other rescue workers, to find people trapped in rubble. Weather forecasters use satellite pictures to see what's heading our way. Some of the images they use are taken using IR cameras, because they show cloud and rain patterns more clearly.
Dangers
The danger to people from too much Infrared radiation is very simple - overheating.
Future Possibilities
Astronomers want to be able to send cameras to the astonomical world and take good quality pictures using infrared rays to capture them and bring them back to Earth, so they can use them as research and evidence.
A remote control uses light waves just beyond the visible spectrum of light—infrared light waves—to change channels on your TV. This region of the spectrum is divided into near-, mid-, and far-infrared. The region from 8 to 15 microns is referred to by Earth scientists as thermal infrared since these wavelengths are best for studying the longwave thermal energy radiating from our planet.
How They're Made
Infra red waves are just below visible red light in the electromagnetic spectrum ("Infra" means "below"). Infra Red waves are given off by heat, or hot objects, stars, lamps, flames and anything else that's warm.
Uses
IR waves are used for many tasks such as, remote controls for TVs and video recorders. Physiotherapists also use heat lamps to help heal sports injuries. IR is also used for short-range communications, for example between mobile phones, or for the Dolby Screentalk headset system used in some cinemas. Because every object gives off IR waves, we can use them to see in the dark. Night sights for weapons sometimes use a sensitive IR detector. "Passive Infra-Red" (PIR) detectors are used in burglar alarm systems, and to control the security lighting that many people have fitted outside their houses. These cameras use Infra-Red waves instead of "ordinary" light, which is why people look bright in these pictures. Similar cameras are also used by fire crews and other rescue workers, to find people trapped in rubble. Weather forecasters use satellite pictures to see what's heading our way. Some of the images they use are taken using IR cameras, because they show cloud and rain patterns more clearly.
Dangers
The danger to people from too much Infrared radiation is very simple - overheating.
Future Possibilities
Astronomers want to be able to send cameras to the astonomical world and take good quality pictures using infrared rays to capture them and bring them back to Earth, so they can use them as research and evidence.