Infrared Waves

Infrared
Characteristics
● Infrared are electromagnetic radiation that has a longer wavelength than
those of the visible lights
● 0.75 µm to 1000 mm from the electromagnetic wave spectrum
Note : Infrared
radiations extend
from the nominal
red edge of the
visible spectrum
at 700
nanometers
(nm) to 1 mm.
Characteristics
Subregions of Infrared Radiation
● Near Infrared Region = 780 nm to 5 µm

● Mid Infrared Region = 5µm to 50µm
● Far Infrared Region = 50µm to 1000µm
Characteristics
● The Frequency of Infrared is 4.3x10^15s^−1 to 3.0x10^11s^−1
● Infrared radiation has a low amount of frequency
Characteristics
● Travels at a speed of 299,792,458 meters per second according to “Serway’s
College Physics”.
● Infrared arrives from earth as energy from the sun, 527 watts is infrared
radiation, 445 watts is visible light and 32 watts is ultraviolet radiation.
● Infrared can come from anything that exerts heat, for example, bonfire and
sauna.
● Infrared are long wave radiation that are less harmful than the short wave
radiation like ultraviolets.
● Infrared radiations causes materials to get hotter.
● Cannot be seen by the naked eye.
History of Usage
● Was first discovered in the early 19th century by William Herschel

● In 1835 Macedonio Melloni made the first thermophile IR detector
● In 1840 John Herschel produced the first thermal image thermogram
● In 1860 Gustav Kirchhoff formulated the blackbody theorem which states
that a perfect black body in thermodynamic equilibrium absorbs all light that
strikes it. It would only be solved in 1901 by Max Planck
● In 1917 British scientists built the first infrared search and track device
which could detect aircraft
William Herschel
Uses
Communications:
Some of these wavelengths are used in optical communication to carry the
information from one place to another. It is also used in remote control, mobile
phone, laptop, PDA’s, etc. to have a channel for short range communication, like
between the mobile and laptop or between TV and remote control.
Thermal imaging:
Thermal imaging or thermography is used to determine the temperature of an
object remotely. This is used mostly in industries and military operations.
Night vision:
The night vision, which is seeing in night (or dark black) without the use of
external light, is a device which uses the ambient light of the atmosphere. It
amplifies the ambient light and helps to see things in dark without the use of
light to illuminate the area of interest.
Uses Missile Tracking:
It is used in missile technology to follow its target, since everything

emit infrared rays so the missile seeks the infrared and hit the
target based on the heat emitted by it. these types of missile are
known as “heat seekers”.
Heating:
Infrared are increasing the popularity as the rays used in cooking

for heating. The infrared can heat the opaque objects instead of the
air around them. These are also used in industries for wielding,
drying, etc.
There are other uses of the infrared in the field of astronomy,

meterology, Spectroscopy, History, Biological systems.
Benefits
● Infrared Saunas can aid in
detoxification, recovery and pain relief,
strengthening the immune system and
weight loss
● Infrared can increase blood flow to
injured muscles and increase healing
● Infrared can also reduce work by
creating devices such as TV remotes
that work on infrared
Advantages
● It can detect objects that are too cool to emit visible light.
● It is less subject to scattering than is visible light.
● It is used to control household appliances
● It is very helpful in medical treatments like some chronic health problems such as high
blood pressure, congestive heart failure and rheumatoid arthritis
● Infrared heat treatments can promote perspiration and give energy to the body returning
blood pressure to normal.
● You can send heat by conduction, convection and radiation. Of these three, radiation is
the fastest, moving at the speed of light.
● The ease of making and controlling IR is one of its key advantages. You can make IR with
fire or a light bulb. Your body produces IR as you sit and read this
Disadvantages
● These waves cannot be used for longer distances.

● It is mostly used for indoor functionalities only.
● IR can even damage our tissues.
● It cannot be used for curved communication.
● If we use infrared waves as the communication
agent then it should only be line of sight
communication.
Demonstration of Infrared Technology
“Infrared Remote Control”
- Ables to copy a program with just putting

the IR remote to the regular remote
Sources
https://science.nasa.gov/kids/imagers/ems/infrared.html
http://astro.uchicago.edu/cara/about_cara/defn/irlight.html
http://www.edurite.com/kbase/disadvantages-of-infrared-waves
http://www.apiste-global.com/fsv/technology_fsv/detail/id=1188
http://www.gemini.edu/public/infrared.html

Infrared Waves

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Infrared

● Near Infrared Region = 780 nm to 5 µm

● Was ﬁrst discovered in the early 19th century by William Herschel

It is used in missile technology to follow its target, since everything

Infrared are increasing the popularity as the rays used in cooking

There are other uses of the infrared in the ﬁeld of astronomy,

● These waves cannot be used for longer distances.

“Infrared Remote Control”

- Ables to copy a program with just putting

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