inframerah

Inframerah is the term used in Indonesian and Malay to refer to infrared radiation, the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum with wavelengths longer than visible red light. The infrared range is commonly subdivided into near-infrared (roughly 0.7 to 1.5 micrometers), mid-infrared (1.5 to 5 micrometers), and far-infrared (5 to about 1000 micrometers). While infrared is the general term in science and technology, "inframerah" is the regional language designation.

Infrared radiation is emitted by all objects with a temperature above absolute zero, and the exact spectrum depends on temperature and emissivity. It is not visible to the human eye but can be detected with specialized sensors and cameras. Infrared is non-ionizing and carries heat energy, which makes it useful for measuring temperature distributions and thermal properties.

Detection and measurement of inframerah involve various instruments. Sensors such as photodiodes, thermopiles, and bolometers convert infrared energy into electrical signals. Infrared cameras produce thermal images by mapping radiation intensity to a visual display. Infrared spectroscopy, including Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, identifies materials based on molecular absorption features. Atmospheric transmission of infrared is influenced by gases like water vapor and carbon dioxide, which shapes practical applications in remote sensing and astronomy.

Applications of inframerah span many fields. They include night vision and thermal imaging for security and firefighting, building diagnostics and energy auditing, medical thermography, astronomy and planetary science, environmental remote sensing, industrial process monitoring, and meteorology. The discovery and naming of infrared are historically attributed to William Herschel in 1800, who demonstrated a radiation beyond the visible red portion of the spectrum.