Infrared Waves

The electromagnetic spectrum consists of seven different waves. The waves are in the order of how big the wavelength is and its frequency, from the biggest to the smallest: Radio waves, Micro waves, Infrared, Visible light, Ultra Violet, X-rays and Gamma rays. Each of them has their own special use in everyday life. For example, to turn on a TV you need to use Radio waves, to heat your food you use Microwaves and X-rays are used to look into people’s bodies. Some waves, like Radio waves can be as big as a building or waves like Gamma rays can be as small as nuclei. Infrared light is in between the microwaves and visible portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Just like visible light Infrared light has a range of wavelengths from red to violet. Far infrared light is the closest to the wavelength of microwaves and near infrared light has the closest wavelength to visible light on the electromagnetic spectrum. The size of the longer infrared wavelength is about the size of a pin head and the shorter infrared wavelengths are the sizes of cells. There are satellites in space like the Landsat 7 and the GOES 6 that have special sensors that record the amount of Infrared light that is reflected or emitted from the Earth’s surface.
Infrared waves are used in many things in today’s time such as TV remotes. A TV remote uses Infrared energy with the wavelength of 940 nanometers. You however cannot see this light emitting from the remote with the naked eye, but some telephones are sensitive to that radiation emitted.
Another common use is an Infrared lamp or heat lamps which emit Infrared energy between 500 to 3000 nanometers. They are used to keep food warm or to heat bathrooms. They are also used to keep small animals and reptiles warm or even to help hatch the eggs of the reptile.
Infrared is used especially in night vision goggles and equipment when there isn’t enough light to see. All objects emit infrared rays (the hotter the object, the stronger the rays)