2006-06-13 23:23:00 · 4 answers · asked by kum d 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
light and heat are both electromagnetic waves. Light is in the visible spectrum, and heat is in the infrared spectrum, which is right next to the visible spectrum, but below it.
Think of a coil spring. Look at it from the side. The cols are like waves. Light waves are spaced a certain distance apart. When the spring is stretched, the waves have lower energy and take up more space-- they are longer. These are heat waves and radio waves, compared to visible light.
Now, suppose that the spring is squeezed together rather than stretched apart. This time, the waves are closer together, and have a higher energy. These are ultraviolet waves, or (depending on how high their energy goes) x rays, or even gamma rays.
So, all the waves are related, it is just how much energy they have that makes them spread out or crowd together. Visible light just happpens to be in the middle, the colors we can see.
2006-06-13 23:31:23 · answer #1 · answered by cdf-rom 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
heat - in the general sense - is related to the motion of non-zero rest mass particles
usually this is vibration motion, so the particles do not actually go anywhere (eg the atoms in an object vibrate)
the Boltzmann constant relates energy to temperate
light is a form of electromagnetic energy - it cannot be meanigfully said to be equivalent to heat
however, hot objects (anything above absolute zero) do radiate light and light can excite vibrations in material (make them hot)
2006-06-14 06:45:58 · answer #2 · answered by Epidavros 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Heat can produce light and light can produce heat.
2006-06-14 06:27:50 · answer #3 · answered by 3's 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they're both direct effects of a source of energy. can't have light without heat, and vice versa.
2006-06-14 06:27:26 · answer #4 · answered by Rod B 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋