Have you ever wondered what are the characteristics of solar radiation? In this article we have the indicated answer for this interesting variable. Discover with us the characteristics of solar radiation, what its dangers are, consequences and much more.
What is solar radiation?
Solar radiation is understood as that energetic source that emerges exclusively from outer space, which in turn comes from the planetary cosmos in which the sun is located. The aforementioned radiation is formed thanks to the nuclear fusion reaction that has life in the core of the sun. This nuclear radiation has the function of generating a type of electromagnetic radiation that manages to be produced in a wave frequency. Coming to propagate through the speed of light.
Waves, on the other hand, represent one of the fundamental forms of energy transmission. A wave is characterized by its frequency, its length and its speed, the length of a wave is the distance between crests, the frequency is the number of crests that occur per second, and the speed of a wave is the speed of a single wave. crest.
What does radiation mean?
Radiation is defined as the transmission of energy that is emitted through one or more electromagnetic waves. This is produced from a type of source that provides radiation that is emitted towards other directions directed in multiple parts.
The waves, for their part, have the power and facility to cross and penetrate planetary space, managing to penetrate the earth. All waves manage to travel through a speed of approximately two hundred and ninety-nine thousand seven hundred ninety-two thousand kilometers. Both the length and the frequency that characterize a wave are really transcendental in order to prescribe the following variables:
- Energy
- Penetration
- Visibility
- And power
Solar constant
This factor refers to the amount of solar energy that is emitted towards the planet earth. That force can be measured through units of time and surface. This procedure is carried out by the upper structure of the atmosphere on a normal plane vertical to the rays coming from our star.
Types of solar radiation
Solar radiation is characterized by containing 3 well-known types or styles of rays, taking into account their own characteristics and effects, since each of these have different manifestations of energy. These are classified as follows:
- Rays that supply, facilitate and provide heat. (Infrared)
- Rays that emit and expose light (visible)
- Ultraviolet rays
These are the three types of rays that we normally easily recognize, however, ultraviolet rays are usually divided into other categories that we will mention immediately, these are:
- Those rays that manage to penetrate our terrestrial atmosphere very easily, these are called; UV rays.
- Those rays that, unlike the previous one, present great problems to penetrate our atmosphere. These are called UVB
This class of ultraviolet rays tend to be characterized by a short wave class, which is why they cannot penetrate the atmosphere since the ozone layer tends to absorb them quickly.
Characteristics of solar radiation
Solar radiation is distributed over the width of a spectrum that is not usually found in a single frequency, with a greenish color, the most superlative of radiation is concentrated in visible light on the outskirts of the atmosphere.
Visible light makes up a small part of the Electromagnetic spectrum, this is very important for human beings, and naturally, it is also important for nature. This is just one of many types of electromagnetic radiation.
The human body, but not the human eye, can detect other types of electromagnetic radiation. For example, when we reach out toward something hot, infrared radiation carries the energy of the object into our hand. Thus the sensation of heat is a detection of infrared radiation beyond the visible radius.
If we are in the sun for too long we get sunstroke, the cause of our discomfort is ultraviolet radiation. In this way we can affirm that our body also detects UV radiation. There are only two windows for electromagnetic radiation, visible light and radio waves. All other forms of radiation are absorbed, in whole or in part, by the atmosphere.
The photosynthetic radiation fluctuates from about four hundred to about seven hundred NM. This amount is the equivalent of the radiation that is visible, which is interpreted as 40% of general radiation. Within this radiation there is a division that we will see below:
- Orange red count from five hundred ninety to seven hundred nm
- Green four hundred and ninety to five hundred and sixty nm
- Yellow goes from five hundred sixty to five hundred ninety nm
- Blue-violet ranges from four hundred to four hundred and ninety nm
- As it passes through the Earth's atmosphere, solar radiation undergoes:
- Reflection
- Refraction
- Absorption
In this way, one of the main characteristics of solar radiation is that it goes through different variations, in order to penetrate and achieve the objective of reaching the earthly plane.
radiation balance
Every day the earth is struck by ice caps, for approximately fourteen hundred minutes. In addition to this, the atmosphere is responsible for filtering the sun's rays, allowing their passage until limiting their entry, which causes the following consequences:
- It manages to scatter the rays thanks to diffusion as well as the presence of the gases present in it and the clouds that are part of its chemical structure. Taking into account that it has 78% nitrogen, a volume of 21% oxygen, the rest of the gases is formed by Aragon with 0,9% carbon dioxide with 0,03% and various amounts of water. , along with dust and other particulate matter in suspension.
- Other of the consequences generated that we can mention is the absorption that falls on the accentuation of temperature, however this is usually a little slight with regard to visible light, and in turn is completely transparent with regard to radiation. immediate sun.
- A large portion of radiation manages to cross and penetrate the Earth's atmosphere without any variation. This radiation that manages to penetrate easily and completely successfully, is called net radiation. Therefore, the energy that is fully available corresponds to an approximate of only a fourth portion of the general energy that manages to be emitted.
While the lower part of the atmosphere is the part where we spend almost all of our time, which is called the troposphere, it has an average thickness of about eleven kilometers. It fulfills a function of absorbing UV rays, also absorbing water vapour. This operation that it carries out, managing to filter UV rays, represents a really important fact for the vital cycle of life.
How does solar radiation affect health?
As is known to us, the characteristics of solar radiation they manage to generate negative effects on the organ called skin, of human beings. Taking into account how strong the exposure to the sun is, and what degree of force the solar waves exert on the skin. Here are some of the damages caused:
- The radiation of ultraviolet rays in general terms can lead to cancer in the skin of human beings.
- Other problems that solar radiation causes is the impact on the eyes, since their exposure to sunlight can cause major conditions such as loss of sight.
- The skin is the most affected organ, prolonged exposure to ultraviolet radiation can cause serious damage, which translates into the following variables:
- Redness of the skin
- Dark spots
- Wrinkles
Thanks to the protection of our ozone layer, a large portion of ultraviolet rays cannot penetrate the earth. Otherwise, if we did not have this valuable protection, the damage and consequences would be much more serious. In the field of medicine, science has managed to implement the use of equipment equipped with laser beams in order to use it for the eradication and healing of wounds. In this way, it can also be used to treat the following diseases:
- Psoriasis
- Vitiligo
- skin nodules
What is the importance of solar radiation?
Despite the different consequences that we have outlined previously on the effects of solar radiation, it is necessary to highlight the really important thing about its existence on the life and well-being of the planet in general. Among the aspects that we managed to highlight about its importance, we will mention the following:
- Solar energy represents a completely vital variable: Solar energy is the main energy source and, therefore, the engine that moves our environment. The solar energy that we receive through solar radiation is directly or indirectly responsible for such important aspects for life as:
- Photosynthesis in plants: The maintenance of a temperature of the planet compatible with the life of the wind. The solar energy that reaches the earth's surface is 10.000 times greater than the energy currently consumed by all of humanity.
If the existence of said energy were not able to penetrate the surroundings of our planet, the consequences would be completely notorious, since we must take into account that despite some features that it usually carries out through negative impacts that are generated above all in human beings, we must keep in mind that their presence on earth has a very relevant level of importance.
Solar radiation has positive benefits that favor some mechanisms of human health, among them we can mention:
- Vitamin D stimulation
- It helps blood circulation
- Helps stimulate the part of the brain that controls mood
These are some of the benefits that solar radiation brings to humanity, not to mention other positive effects that it generates on the earth, increasing the processes of agriculture, engineering, and in other fields such as architecture. At the same time, it represents an alternative source of energy in terms of heating water.
Undoubtedly, the effects that solar radiation gives us is completely ingenious and unique, which is not only recognized for its effects on earth, but also provides some positive signs for certain natural mechanisms of human beings. Therefore, his study is quite interesting and complete, thanks to some most important scientists of history, like Isaac Newton, today we know some variables that make up radiation.