- #1
Sarpedon
- 7
- 0
I received a handout at university that I believe could be erroneous.
It states. "IR radiation has a higher potential to warm objects than UV light. Does IR therefore have a higher energy level?"
It refers to E = hf
Note it mentions 'UV light' but 'IR radiation', not written by a physicist, this text. Background is biology spectroscopy
Now I know at ordinary temperatures almost all objects emit radiation in the IR range. And therefore IR is sometimes wrongly called 'heat'. It seems some of my teachers believe this as well and are mistaken.
Or does this refer to the different nature of IR vibrating molecule bonds and UV causing electron transitions. Since this is QM I can't use logic or common sense (or do the math, lol) and googling and searching in this place doesn't make me confident enough.
It ought to be the case that all forms of radiation, if they contain equal energy (meaning up intensity of radiation with longer wavelenghts) that they heat up objects equally. This because molecules absorb photons of all energy levels. No preference for IR photons.
I can't necessarily nail down higher electron states with more kinetic energy in the molecule with higher temperatures to tell my teachers they are wrong.
It states. "IR radiation has a higher potential to warm objects than UV light. Does IR therefore have a higher energy level?"
It refers to E = hf
Note it mentions 'UV light' but 'IR radiation', not written by a physicist, this text. Background is biology spectroscopy
Now I know at ordinary temperatures almost all objects emit radiation in the IR range. And therefore IR is sometimes wrongly called 'heat'. It seems some of my teachers believe this as well and are mistaken.
Or does this refer to the different nature of IR vibrating molecule bonds and UV causing electron transitions. Since this is QM I can't use logic or common sense (or do the math, lol) and googling and searching in this place doesn't make me confident enough.
It ought to be the case that all forms of radiation, if they contain equal energy (meaning up intensity of radiation with longer wavelenghts) that they heat up objects equally. This because molecules absorb photons of all energy levels. No preference for IR photons.
I can't necessarily nail down higher electron states with more kinetic energy in the molecule with higher temperatures to tell my teachers they are wrong.