In physics, UV refers to ultraviolet radiation, a part of the electromagnetic spectrum. It sits between visible light and X-rays, characterized by shorter wavelengths and higher energy than visible light.
Understanding Ultraviolet Radiation
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is invisible to the human eye but has significant effects on both living organisms and materials. It's a form of electromagnetic radiation, meaning it travels in waves, similar to visible light, radio waves, and X-rays, but with a shorter wavelength. This shorter wavelength translates to higher energy photons.
Key Characteristics of UV Radiation:
- Wavelength: UV radiation's wavelength ranges from 40 to 400 nanometers (nm). (Britannica, NASA Science, HPS)
- Energy: UV photons possess higher energy than visible light photons, enabling them to break chemical bonds. (Live Science)
- Sources: Sunlight is a major natural source, contributing about 10% of the Sun's total electromagnetic radiation. Electric arcs and certain specialized lamps also produce UV radiation. (Wikipedia)
- Types: UV radiation is categorized into UVA, UVB, and UVC, each with different wavelengths and effects. (Numerous sources)
Effects of UV Radiation:
- Biological Effects: UV radiation, especially UVB, can cause sunburn, premature aging, and increase the risk of skin cancer. (Numerous sources) It can also damage the eyes. (Implied in multiple sources)
- Chemical Effects: Its high energy allows UV radiation to initiate or accelerate many chemical reactions, such as the decomposition of certain materials or the formation of ozone in the atmosphere. (Live Science)
- Applications: UV radiation has various applications including sterilization, curing of polymers, and in some analytical techniques. (Implied in multiple sources)
UV radiation is extensively studied in various fields of physics, including atmospheric physics (ozone layer interaction), astrophysics (stellar radiation), and even particle physics, where the term "UV" can sometimes be used figuratively to represent high-energy scales beyond the Standard Model. (ArXiv papers)
While the main focus in physics is on the electromagnetic radiation aspect, there's also a use of the term "UV" in high energy physics to refer to ultraviolet scales implying very high energy physics beyond current models. (ArXiv papers)
