Infrared is a type of light that we cannot see with our eyes. Our eyes can only see what we call visible light. Infrared light brings us special information that we do not get from visible light. It shows us how much heat something has and gives us information about an object's temperature. Everything has some heat and puts out infrared light. Even things that we think of as being very cold, like an ice cube, put out some heat. Cold objects just put out less heat than warm objects. The warmer something is the more heat it puts out and the colder something is the less heat it puts out. Hot objects glow more brightly in the infrared because they put out more heat and more infrared light. Cold objects put out less heat or infrared light and appear less bright in the infrared. Anything which has a temperature puts out heat or infrared light. In the infrared images shown below, different colors are used to represent different temperatures. You can find out which temperature a color represents by using the color-temperature scale show to the right of most of the images. The temperatures are in degrees Fahrenheit. The top picture is an infrared image of a metal cup holding a very hot drink. Notice the rings of color showing heat traveling from the liquid through the metal cup. You can see this in the metal spoon as well. The bottom picture is an infrared image of a melting ice cube. Notice the rings of color showing how the melt water warms as it travels away from the cube. Although the ice cube is cold, it still puts out heat, as you can see by matching the color of the ice cube with its temperature. A visible light picture (top) and an infrared picture (bottoom) of two cups. One cup contains cold water, while the other contains hot water. In the visible light picture we cannot tell, just by looking, which cup is holding cold water and which is holding hot water. In the infrared image, we can clearly "see" the glow from the hot water in the cup to the left and the dark, colder water in the cup to the right. If we had infrared eyes, we could tell if an object was hot or cold without having to touch it. By using special infrared cameras, we can get a view of the infrared world. In the infrared, you can "see" in the dark. Even if the Sun is down and the lights are off, the world around us still puts out some heat. The infrared picture to the right shows deer in a forest during a dark night. Notice how we can clearly see the heat from the deer, especially from areas not covered with thick fur like the ears, face and legs. The trees and the ground put out less heat than the deer, but can still be seen through an infrared camera. This is a black and white infrared image that shows a person lost in the ocean. Infrared cameras are very helpful for rescue teams. This little dog is warm blooded and shows heat especially from his ears, which are covered with less hair. This human hand is warm, but the caterpillar is cold blooded and shows no heat against the human hand. The two above pictures show how infrared waves can penetrate the material of a black plastic sack and let us see the man's hand perfectly. (Look at the mans' cold glasses! HaHa!) A fireman used an infrared camera to find a person that couldn't be spotted in a burning home because of all the smoke. This picture saved that person's life!! Infrared cameras help scientists to see how warm the oceans are during a particular season or year. Astronomers can use the infrared camera to see out into space. Large patches of gases reveal their heated parts when seen through the eyes using infrared wavelengths.
In the summer crack your car window and let the infrared heat out, be kind to infrared light wavelengths!
13 Comments
sydney
1/26/2017 02:47:00 pm
that is one scary cat
Reply
jenna
1/26/2017 03:33:04 pm
wow that is awesome
Reply
steve roper
1/26/2017 03:57:47 pm
i love all the info and the pics.
Reply
Emmalee
1/26/2017 04:37:35 pm
So cool!!
Reply
sinjin
1/26/2017 06:12:43 pm
i loved it so cool
Reply
Paige
1/26/2017 06:32:19 pm
Wow the pictures look so cool!
Reply
Katelyn ashton
1/26/2017 07:54:10 pm
It's like heat vision
Reply
Zane Miner
1/26/2017 08:32:24 pm
The pictures look so cool!
Reply
addie J
1/26/2017 08:47:55 pm
cool pictures
Reply
1/26/2017 08:52:35 pm
Infrared heat waves are so cool and tthe pica are really awesome!!!!!!!):):)::):):)
Reply
Avery
1/26/2017 10:02:47 pm
The infrared waves are awesome because firefighters have used the waves to save someones life!
Reply
Zaya
1/27/2017 06:54:51 am
THATS SO AMAZING!!!
Reply
Jackson
4/14/2021 02:28:10 pm
This is super crazy
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Mrs. TaylorI love science! Everything about the world is interesting and never boring. I love to study plants, animals, insects, and people. My favorite subjects are my students who are the most unique organisms on the planet! Categories |