Does infrared travels in streight lines?

Answer 1

All electromagnetic radiation travels in a straight line. The straight line may

bend when the radiation crosses the boundary between different media,

but it's still straight in each individual medium.

Answer 2

Alpha radiation which consists of 2 neutrons and 2 protons (helium atom) and travels in a straight line. Beta radiation consists of an electron and travels in a straight line. Gamma radiation is transmitted as a wave and does not travel in a straight line.

The answer really depends on how you choose to characterize the radiation. Electromagnetic radiation - and even particles as large as fullerenes have been observed to exhibit wave-particle duality. We think of waves as wiggling back and forth, moving some combination of up and down and/or side to side. In that respect, the radiation would be traveling as a wave oscillating around an average path of a straight line. On the other hand, the position of the mass or energy particle can be measured and the measured particle follows a straight line. From this point of view - Yes - radiation can travel in a straight line. Most of time a radiation source will emit radiation in all directions simultaneously, but it is possible to align the radiation to make it all travel in the same direction; lasers are an example of this. Whether the source of radiation is aligned to a single direction or not, however, once the radiation leaves the source, it travels in a straight line until it encounters a surface (where it may be reflected or absorbed) or an interface (where the direction can be altered - for example a prism). The path of the radiation can also be altered by magnetic and gravitational fields. Magnetic effects can be observed in a lab, but gravitational effects require scales on the order of the size of stars. Light has been observed to curve under the influence of gravity (although it can also be thought of as continuing in a straight line while the space is curved by the gravity).

Answer 3

No, infrared light travels in waves, like all colors.

Answer 4

Yes, infrared radiation travels in straight lines unless it is scattered or reflected by an object. Just like visible light, infrared radiation follows the laws of geometric optics.