Optical radiation is the part of the electromagnetic spectrum with wavelengths between 100 nm and 1 mm. This range includes visible light, infrared light, and part of the ultraviolet spectrum. Optical radiation is non-ionizing, and can be focused with lenses and manipulated by other optical elements. Optics is the study of how to manipulate optical radiation.
>>>PUT SHARE BUTTONS HERE<<<
👉 Optical radiation in the context of Radiometry
Radiometry is a set of techniques for measuring electromagnetic radiation, including visible light. Radiometric techniques in optics characterize the distribution of the radiation's power in space, as opposed to photometric techniques, which characterize the light's interaction with the human eye. The fundamental difference between radiometry and photometry is that radiometry gives the entire optical radiation spectrum, while photometry is limited to the visible radiation (light) spectrum. However, some definitions of radiometry include other portions of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum, and some glossaries define photometry such that associated quantities are weighted by wavelength according to the spectral sensitivity of the human visual system. Radiometry is distinct from quantum techniques such as photon counting.
The use of radiometers to determine the temperature of objects and gasses by measuring radiation flux is called pyrometry. Handheld pyrometer devices are often marketed as infrared thermometers.
In this Dossier
Optical radiation in the context of Light
Light, visible light, or visible radiation is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye. Visible light spans the visible spectrum and is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nanometres (nm), corresponding to frequencies of 750–420 terahertz. 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.
In physics, the term "light" may refer more broadly to electromagnetic radiation of any wavelength, whether visible or not. In this sense, gamma rays, X-rays, microwaves and radio waves are also light. The primary properties of light are intensity, propagation direction, frequency or wavelength spectrum, and polarization. Its speed in vacuum, 299792458 m/s, is one of the fundamental constants of nature. All electromagnetic radiation exhibits some properties of both particles and waves. Single, massless elementary particles, or quanta, of light called photons can be detected with specialized equipment; phenomena like interference are described by waves. Most everyday interactions with light can be understood using geometrical optics; quantum optics, is an important research area in modern physics.
Optical radiation in the context of Visible spectrum
The visible spectrum is the band of the electromagnetic spectrum that is visible to the human eye. 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 radiation.
A typical human eye will respond to wavelengths from about 380 to about 750 nanometers. In terms of frequency, this corresponds to a band in the vicinity of 400–790 terahertz. These boundaries are not sharply defined and may vary per individual. Under optimal conditions, these limits of human perception can extend to 310 nm (ultraviolet) and 1100 nm (near infrared).