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Ultraviolet radiation, also known as simply UV, is electromagnetic radiation of wavelengths of 10–400 nanometers, shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays. UV radiation is present in sunlight , and constitutes about 10% of the total electromagnetic radiation output from the Sun.
UV is the lowest energy range energetic enough to ionize atoms, separating electrons from them, and thus causing chemical reactions. UV, X-rays, and gamma rays are thus collectively called ionizing radiation; exposure to them can damage living tissue. UV can also cause substances to glow with visible light; this is called fluorescence. UV ...
The radiation source is often a tungsten filament (300–2500 nm), a deuterium arc lamp, which is continuous over the ultraviolet region (190–400 nm), a xenon arc lamp, which is continuous from 160 to 2,000 nm; or more recently, light emitting diodes (LED) [4] for the visible wavelengths.
Electromagnetic radiation in this range of wavelengths is called visible light (or simply light). The optical spectrum is sometimes considered to be the same as the visible spectrum, but some authors define the term more broadly, to include the ultraviolet and infrared parts of the electromagnetic spectrum as well, known collectively as optical ...
All UV frequencies have been classed as Group 1 carcinogens by the World Health Organization. Ultraviolet radiation from sun exposure is the primary cause of skin cancer. [65] [66] Thus, at UV frequencies and higher, electromagnetic radiation does more damage to biological systems than simple heating predicts.
Ultraviolet astronomy is the observation of electromagnetic radiation at ultraviolet wavelengths between approximately 10 and 320 nanometres; shorter wavelengths—higher energy photons—are studied by X-ray astronomy and gamma-ray astronomy. [1] Ultraviolet light is not visible to the human eye. [2]
The visible band sits adjacent to the infrared (with longer wavelengths and lower frequencies) and the ultraviolet (with shorter wavelengths and higher frequencies), called collectively optical radiation. [2] [3] In physics, the term "light" may refer more broadly to electromagnetic radiation of any wavelength, whether visible or not.
Photography based on visible fluorescence induced by UV radiation uses the same ultraviolet illumination as in reflected UV photography. However, the glass barrier filter used on the lens must now block all ultraviolet and infrared radiation, permitting only visible radiation (light) to pass. Visible fluorescence is produced in a suitable ...