Light Energy

What Is Light Energy?

Light energy is a kind of kinetic energy with the ability to make types of light visible to human eyes.  Light is defined as a form of electromagnetic radiation emitted by hot objects like lasers, bulbs, and the sun.

Light contains photons which are minute packets of energy. When an object’s atoms get heated up, it results in the production of photons, and this is how photons are produced. The electrons find excitement from the heat, which results in earning extra energy. The energy is released in the form of a photon, and more photons come out as the substance gets hotter.

Light travels in the form of a wave when it travels. However, no matter is essential to carry the energy along to travel. This is the reason why light can travel through space where there is no air. This is not the case with sound waves since they have to travel through solids, liquids or gas. Light energy is very quick and travels faster than anything. The light speed is equal to 186,282 miles per second.

The sun emits a large amount of electromagnetic radiation. Humans can see only a fraction of this energy which is known as ‘visible light.’ How solar energy travels is expressed as waves. Scientists can calculate the amount of energy of a wave by measuring its wavelength and distance between consecutive points of a wave(from crest to crest and trough to trough).

Visible light constitutes only one of many electromagnetic radiations emitted by the sun. The electromagnetic spectrum is the range of all possible radiation frequencies. It shows different types of electromagnetic radiation from the sun, including ultraviolet rays and X-rays. Various kind of radiant energy from the sun has been differentiated within the electromagnetic spectrum and the difference between wavelengths points to the amount of energy that is carried by them.

Uses of Light Energy:

Light energy is a form of electromagnetic radiation that can be seen by the human eye. But there are also many commercial and scientific uses of light energy, some of which are listed below.

Food

Light is the only source of food generation for all living organisms. Every organism is dependent on light for its energy and food except a few chemotrophic organisms such as bacteria.

Vision

Any organism can view the objects around them due to the presence of eyes. But these might be useless without light. The eyes receive the image when light falls on them, and the information is sent to the brain. Hence, light lets us see objects around us.

Colours

The whole world is beautiful due to colours, and all these colours are possible due to light. The light consists of many spectra; every spectrum has an individual colour, broadly specified as VIBGYOR.

Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs

Q1

What is light energy?

Light energy is a kind of kinetic energy with the ability to make types of light visible to human eyes. Light is defined as a form of electromagnetic radiation emitted by hot objects like lasers, bulbs, and the sun.

Q2

What is electromagnetic radiation?

Electromagnetic radiation can be defined as a form of energy that is produced by the movement of electrically charged particles travelling through a matter or vacuum or by oscillating magnetic and electric disturbance.

Q3

Define chemical potential energy

Chemical potential energy is the energy stored in the chemical bonds of the substance. It is the energy that can be absorbed and released due to a change in the particle number of the given species.

Q4

What is the electromagnetic spectrum?

Electromagnetic spectrum in simple terms is defined as the range of all types of electromagnetic radiation.

Q5

Where in the electromagnetic spectrum is visible light?

Visible light falls in the range of the electromagnetic spectrum between infrared rays and ultraviolet rays. It has frequencies of about 4 × 1014 to 8 × 1014 hertz (Hz) and a wavelength of about 740 nanometers ( 2.9 × 10−5 inches) to 380 nanometers (1.5 × 10−5 inches).

Stay tuned with BYJU’S to know more about light energy examples and what sound energy is.