

Learning Lesson: Melts in your bag, not in your hand ConductionRadiant energy is a type of kinetic energy transmitted through elementary particles called photons. (The variations in how Earth's surface absorbs heat from the Sun is called differential heating.) However, they also radiate their energy faster than lighter colored objects. Dark colored objects, such as asphalt, absorb radiant energy faster than light colored objects.

Most of the solar radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere, and much of what reaches the Earth's surface is radiated back into the atmosphere to become heat energy. It is infrared radiation that produces the warm feeling on our bodies. Infrared had a lower frequency than red, and ultraviolet has a higher frequency than violet . Infrared and ultraviolet are two of the waves we can't see. When the eye views all these different frequencies at the same time, it is interpreted as white. Our brains interpret some of these frequencies as colors, including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. However, much of the electromagnetic radiation that reaches the Earth from the Sun is visible light. In other words, the frequency of electromagnetic radiation is the number of electromagnetic waves moving past a point each second. Most wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation are invisible. The frequency is the number of instances that a repeated event occurs over a set time. Radiation is the transfer of heat energy through space by electromagnetic radiation.Įlectromagnetic radiation is made of waves of different frequencies. Heat lamps that keep food warm work in the same way.


Although you are surrounded by air, the air has nothing to do with this transfer of heat. The side of your body nearest the fire warms while your other side remains unaffected by the heat. If you have stood in front of a fireplace or near a campfire, you have felt the heat transfer known as radiation.
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIANT ENERGY EXAMPLES SKIN
As this damage builds, you speed up the aging of your skin and increase your risk for all types of skin cancer.Įven on cloudy days, ultraviolet radiation can pass through clouds and cause a sunburn if you remain outdoors long enough. Every time you tan, you damage your skin. This includes radiation from artificial sources, such as tanning beds and sun lamps.
