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Specialty Chemistry Forums => Other Sciences Question Forum => Topic started by: Corvettaholic on April 23, 2004, 05:34:10 PM

Title: Infrared Radiation
Post by: Corvettaholic on April 23, 2004, 05:34:10 PM
OK, here's what I know about infrared: It heats stuff up. We can't see it, except with special goggles. Its one of the three ways of transferring heat (besides conduction and convection). Now this is what I'm foggy on: I'm fairly sure it can be reflected. Darker colors absorb it better (don't wear black shirts during summer in phoenix), and lighter colors seem to reflect it. Mirrors just plain reflect it. Am I right?
Title: Re:Infrared Radiation
Post by: Scratch- on April 23, 2004, 05:41:06 PM
Seems right to me.
Title: Re:Infrared Radiation
Post by: Corvettaholic on April 23, 2004, 05:49:50 PM
So given the above is true, that means I could build a heat mirror, or that my shielding idea for the inside of the heat battery is a good one. This gives me some good ideas for my next desert bonfire...
Title: Re:Infrared Radiation
Post by: Scratch- on April 23, 2004, 05:53:51 PM
That might melt the container.
Title: Re:Infrared Radiation
Post by: Mitch on April 23, 2004, 06:07:50 PM
Infrared Radiation is heat.
Title: Re:Infrared Radiation
Post by: Corvettaholic on April 23, 2004, 06:59:43 PM
So when you say infrared radiation IS heat, you mean that it is the actual definition of heat? Heat isn't some mystical force which carries energy around, but its an electromagnetic wave? I always thought heat could be lots of things, but you're saying it IS electromagnet only? Actually that kind of makes sense  ;D
Title: Re:Infrared Radiation
Post by: Mitch on April 23, 2004, 07:29:04 PM
Yes, heat is just a part of the EM spectrum.
Title: Re:Infrared Radiation
Post by: Corvettaholic on April 23, 2004, 07:34:30 PM
Gotcha. Is there any other names for microwave, x-ray, uv ray, or gamma rays? All of which are higher than IR if I'm not mistaken.

And since IR is heat, and it obviously transfer energy from its emission point to where its absorbed, does that mean all electromagnetic waves can do the same so long as they're absorbed and don't zip right through stuff (like gamma)?
Title: Re:Infrared Radiation
Post by: Scratch- on April 23, 2004, 07:34:59 PM
Doesn't heat include the vibrations of the atoms and molecules?
Title: Re:Infrared Radiation
Post by: Corvettaholic on April 23, 2004, 07:36:06 PM
Maybe thats temperature, cause there I've learned there is a difference. But if it is heat, does vibrations of atoms give off electromagnetic stuff too?
Title: Re:Infrared Radiation
Post by: Scratch- on April 23, 2004, 07:39:57 PM
Isn’t temperature the transfer of heat?  ???
Title: Re:Infrared Radiation
Post by: Corvettaholic on April 23, 2004, 07:45:12 PM
I think temperature is energy level, and heat (or infrared) is just one way of increasing the energy level of something.
Title: Re:Infrared Radiation
Post by: Mitch on April 24, 2004, 02:33:23 PM
Doesn't heat include the vibrations of the atoms and molecules?

Infrared radiation has the same frequency as the vibrations of molecules. Thats why infrared radiation is used as a probing tool for investigations into the vibrations of molecules.
Title: Re:Infrared Radiation
Post by: gregpawin on April 24, 2004, 03:03:38 PM
Actually, they already have heat mirrors... saw one at one of those warehouse stores--looks like a regular fan with a metal parabolic dish in the back... in the middle there's a coil of heating element that gets reflected by the parabolic metal dish.  Though there's no fan blowing the hot air as you'd imagine, whereever it points, its pretty hot.
Title: Re:Infrared Radiation
Post by: Corvettaholic on April 26, 2004, 01:25:05 PM
So infrared has the same frequency as vibration of molecules, how did someone figure THAT out? Wouldn't the vibration frequency of different elements be a lot different, or does it fall within a certain range that IR encompasses?

Now heat mirrors are a really neat thing, I really want one. I'm going to take a gander at google and ebay and see if I can find one. Know of any good places I could get one cheaply?
Title: Re:Infrared Radiation
Post by: Donaldson Tan on April 27, 2004, 08:28:08 AM
Heat mirrors has been there for a long time, especially in our lifetime. Pp used it to cook food in Africa, especially at Red Cross Concentration Camp. LOL.

Infrared radiation takes up a certain spectrum in the EM Spectrum, so it has a range of frequency, not just one particular value.
Title: Re:Infrared Radiation
Post by: Corvettaholic on April 27, 2004, 01:40:24 PM
Right, I know it has a range, but does the vibration of molecules fall into the same range, or does it spill over into other ranges?

So lets say I light a candle. How would I measure the frequency of the IR coming out of it, and would it vary like crazy or be one specific value? Is the frequency a function of how "hot" the heat source is?