Light & Technology
How radiation affects matter, and how we send information
Do Now: You can sit in front of a bright lamp for hours without getting sunburned, but 20 minutes of summer sun can burn you. What’s the difference?
Sunlight contains ultraviolet light. Each UV photon carries enough energy to damage molecules in your skin. Lamp light is brighter in your room, but each of its photons carries less energy.
Try It First
Slide from radio waves to gamma rays and watch the energy of one photon change.
Lessons
NYS P-12 Science Learning Standards, Physics: HS-PS4-4 — Evaluate the validity and reliability of claims in published materials of the effects that different frequencies of electromagnetic radiation have when absorbed by matter. HS-PS4-2 — Evaluate questions about the advantages of using digital transmission and storage of information.