IRsäteilyksi

IRsäteilyksi is a Finnish term that translates to "infrared radiation" in English. It refers to electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths longer than visible light and shorter than microwaves. The infrared spectrum spans from approximately 700 nanometers (nm) to 1 millimeter (mm).

Infrared radiation is invisible to the human eye but can be detected as heat. All objects with a temperature above absolute zero emit infrared radiation. The hotter an object, the more infrared radiation it emits. This property makes infrared radiation useful for a variety of applications.

In everyday life, infrared radiation is experienced as the warmth from the sun, a fire, or a heated object. Thermographic cameras use infrared sensors to detect and visualize temperature differences, which is valuable in fields such as building inspection, medical diagnostics, and night vision technology.

Industrially, infrared heating is employed in processes like drying, curing, and cooking due to its efficiency in transferring heat directly to the material. In telecommunications, infrared light is used in devices like remote controls and some short-range wireless data transmission systems.

The Earth's atmosphere contains greenhouse gases that absorb and re-emit infrared radiation, playing a crucial role in regulating the planet's temperature through the greenhouse effect. Studying infrared radiation helps scientists understand climate change and the composition of planetary atmospheres.