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Why can't we see ultraviolet and infrared light waves when the waves of the ultraviolet spectrum are larger than the visible light wave lengths and the infrared are the same size?
Wiki User
∙ 6y ago
Humans (and other primates) cannot see ultraviolet light because the pigments in the rod and cone cells in our retinas do not absorb these frequencies. Many other species (e.g. birds, insects, reptiles) actually can see ultraviolet light because they have a pigment present in a 4th type of cone cell that we don't have that does absorb these frequencies.
The ordinary type of eye that humans (and other species) have cannot see infrared because the cornea (being a moist material) is opaque to these frequencies, so they cannot enter the eye to be detected. A few types of snake called "pit vipers" can see infrared as they have an extra pair of "eyes" in their cheeks that are a type of pinhole camera, each is a small pit that because it is open and has neither a cornea nor lens infrared light can enter and focus on the back surface of the pit, which acts like a retina.
Wiki User
∙ 6y ago
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Where is visible light along the EM spectrum?
Right between infrared and ultraviolet. It has higher frequencies than infrared; lower frequencies than ultraviolet.
What portion of the engergy spectrum is visible light?
Visible light is in the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum between infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) light.
What electromagnetic wave is located between infrared radiation and ultraviolet radiation in the visible spectrum?
The term "electromagnetic" is the wrong term. The correct term is "photoelectric". Aslo the phrase between the infrared and ultraviolet should be stated: between the thresholds of infrared and ultra-violet light. So the correct question would be: What is the region of the photoelectric spectrum that lies between the thresholds of infrared and ultra-violet light? Answer: The visible light spectrum
Do all colors have the same wave lengths?
The visible light part of the electromagnetic spectrum is below the ultraviolet but above infrared. Purple light has the highest wave length and red has the lowest.
Is sun rays ionising radiation or non ionising?
Some of the sun's rays are ionizing and some not. The portion that is not ionizing is the visible spectrum, anything with longer wavelength (infrared), and a bit of the ultraviolet spectrum. The shorter wave lengths are all ionizing.
What are the family of the electromagnetic spectrum in list?
Radiowaves Microwaves Infrared Visible Spectrum (light) Ultraviolet X-ray radiation Gamma Radiation
What is the meaning of the word infrared?
Infrared is a wavelength of light. There are other kinds such as microwaves and ultraviolet light. Infrared is a source of radiation because it is just beyond the visible spectrum.
Includes visible light and radio waves and infrared and ultraviolet and X-ray?
It's the electromagnetic spectrum. AaronDeager
Order of length of the visible spectrum?
The visible light spectrum is the only part of the spectrum that we can perceive with our eyes. It is commonly considered to be the 400nm -700 nm region. It lies between ultraviolet and Infrared region of the light spectrum.
Where on the electromagnetic spectrum is visible light found?
In terms of frequencies, visible light is situated above radio and heat, below x-rays and gamma rays, immediately between ultraviolet and infrared radiation.
What is similar about infrared and ultraviolet?
Both infrared and ultraviolet are kinds of electromagnetic radiation, as is the visible light.
Why did the rainbow have different colors?
Actually, all rainbows have the SAME colors, namely: all of them from ultraviolet to infrared, the entire visible spectrum.
