UV light in the context of Tanning lamp


UV light in the context of Tanning lamp

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⭐ Core Definition: UV light

Ultraviolet radiation or 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. It is also produced by electric arcs, Cherenkov radiation, and specialized lights, such as mercury-vapor lamps, tanning lamps, and black lights.

The photons of ultraviolet have greater energy than those of visible light, from about 3.1 to 12 electron volts, around the minimum energy required to ionize atoms. Although long-wavelength ultraviolet is not considered an ionizing radiation because its photons lack sufficient energy, it can induce chemical reactions and cause many substances to glow or fluoresce. Many practical applications, including chemical and biological effects, are derived from the way that UV radiation can interact with organic molecules. These interactions can involve exciting orbital electrons to higher energy states in molecules potentially breaking chemical bonds. In contrast, the main effect of longer wavelength radiation is to excite vibrational or rotational states of these molecules, increasing their temperature. Short-wave ultraviolet light is ionizing radiation. Consequently, short-wave UV damages DNA and sterilizes surfaces with which it comes into contact.

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UV light in the context of Phosphorescent

Phosphorescence is a type of photoluminescence related to fluorescence. When exposed to light (radiation) of a shorter wavelength, a phosphorescent substance will glow, absorbing the light and reemitting it at a longer wavelength. Unlike fluorescence, a phosphorescent material does not immediately reemit the radiation it absorbs. Instead, a phosphorescent material absorbs some of the radiation energy and reemits it for a much longer time after the radiation source is removed.

In a general sense, there is no distinct boundary between the emission times of fluorescence and phosphorescence (i.e.: if a substance glows under a black light it is generally considered fluorescent, and if it glows in the dark it is often simply called phosphorescent). In a modern, scientific sense, the phenomena can usually be classified by the three different mechanisms that produce the light and the typical timescales at which they emit light: fluorescence, triplet phosphorescence, and persistent phosphorescence. Whereas fluorescent materials stop emitting light within nanoseconds (billionths of a second) after the excitation radiation is removed, phosphorescent materials may continue to emit an afterglow ranging from a few microseconds to many hours after the excitation is removed.

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UV light in the context of Vitamin D3

Cholecalciferol, also known as vitamin D3, colecalciferol or calciol, is a type of vitamin D that is produced by the skin when exposed to UVB light; it is found in certain foods and can be taken as a dietary supplement.

Cholecalciferol is synthesised in the skin following sunlight exposure. It is then converted in the liver to calcifediol (25-hydroxycholecalciferol D), which is further converted in the kidney to calcitriol (1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol D). One of calcitriol's most important functions is to promote calcium uptake by the intestines. Cholecalciferol is present in food such as fatty fish, beef liver, eggs, and cheese. In some countries, cholecalciferol is also added to products like plants, cow milk, fruit juice, yogurt, and margarine.

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UV light in the context of Quantum dot

Quantum dots (QDs) or semiconductor nanocrystals are semiconductor particles a few nanometres in size with optical and electronic properties that differ from those of larger particles via quantum mechanical effects. They are a central topic in nanotechnology and materials science. When a quantum dot is illuminated by UV light, an electron in the quantum dot can be excited to a state of higher energy. In the case of a semiconducting quantum dot, this process corresponds to the transition of an electron from the valence band to the conduction band. The excited electron can drop back into the valence band releasing its energy as light. This light emission (photoluminescence) is illustrated in the figure on the right. The color of that light depends on the energy difference between the discrete energy levels of the quantum dot in the conduction band and the valence band.

In other words, a quantum dot can be defined as a structure on a semiconductor which is capable of confining electrons in three dimensions, enabling the ability to define discrete energy levels. The quantum dots are tiny crystals that can behave as individual atoms, and their properties can be manipulated.

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UV light in the context of Phosphoresence

Phosphorescence is a type of photoluminescence related to fluorescence. When exposed to light (radiation) of a shorter threshold wavelength, a phosphorescent substance will glow, absorbing the light and reemitting it at a longer wavelength. Unlike fluorescence, a phosphorescent material does not immediately reemit the radiation it absorbs. Instead, a phosphorescent material absorbs some of the radiation energy and reemits it for a much longer time after the radiation source is removed.

In a general sense, there is no distinct boundary between the emission times of fluorescence and phosphorescence (i.e.: if a substance glows under a black light it is generally considered fluorescent, and if it glows in the dark it is often simply called phosphorescent). In a modern, scientific sense, the phenomena can usually be classified by the three different mechanisms that produce the light and the typical timescales at which they emit light: fluorescence, triplet phosphorescence, and persistent phosphorescence. Whereas fluorescent materials stop emitting light within nanoseconds (billionths of a second) after the excitation radiation is removed, phosphorescent materials may continue to emit an afterglow ranging from a few microseconds to many hours after the excitation is removed.

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UV light in the context of Sporadic E propagation

Sporadic E (abbreviated Es or SpE) is an uncommon form of radio propagation using a low level of the Earth's ionosphere that normally does not refract radio waves above about 15 MHz.

Sporadic E propagation reflects signals off relatively small ionization patches in the lower E region located at altitudes of about 95–120 km (59–75 mi). The more conventional forms of skywave propagation in the ionosphere's higher F region refract off layers of electrons that are knocked off gas atoms and molecules by intense UV light, which are renewed on a regular repeating daily cycle. In both cases, the electrons, when present, refract (or "bend") radio signals back toward the Earth's surface creating a "bent pipe" path for radio signals.

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