Is it possible to generate light without also generating heat? If yes, how?

Answer 1

the most purest form of generating light without heat is utilized by certain creatures that "glow in the dark". it is called "bioluminescence". ( e.g. fireflies , luminescent bacteria etc ). they use certain chemical reactions to produce light.

cyclotron radiation also does this ( but a abstractly difficult concept to understand ).

theoretically, however, the second law of thermodynamics states that all energy transformations must "waste" a certain portion of the transformation as entropy ( or heat ) . this is unavoidable and so ANY method of generating light MUST involve a loss in the form of heat.

hope it answered your most delightful question :)

Answer 2

Yes...the process is called photo luminescence.

There are many creatures that live in the depths of the ocean that light up very brilliantly. In fact chemists have been able to synthesis the process of photo luminescence.

Has anyone ever seen a light stick or the bracelets and necklaces that glow and are sold at night at an amusement park. A light stick has two chemicals in it and when one twists it a vial breaks and mixes the chemicals. They generally glow with a greenish hue.

The process is very complicated and I do not have enough knowledge of chemistry to explain photo luminescence. I have been told it is a direct chemical conversion with no heat involved.
I do not believe there is any heat involved because the light sticks stay cool as a cucumber after one lights them up.


PS There is also synchronous radiation often seen inside a particle accelerator I believe but an not 100% that this falls into the same category?

Answer 3

The answer is by definition NO. The light that you create carries small quanta of energy. When those photons hit something, they will warm it up. The light itself is a form of radiant energy.

Now, where you asking is there a way to generate light without causing the generator to become warm? Chemical sources of light generation can be endothermic, i.e., the chemical solution actually absorbs heat.

Answer 4

Not with any current technology. Heat from a light is can be thought of a loss of energy. Even LED's release some heat, but it is much less than a regular light bulb.

If anyone can figure out how to transfer energy from one state to another (electricity - light, mechanical - electrical, etc...) without losing any energy it would be the biggest discovery we have ever found.

Answer 5

Well, technically the process in LEDs that generates light does not generate any heat, but the current in the rest of the LED sure does.

Electrons in a synchrotron emit light with heat, but the things that keep them in the synchrotron sure generate heat.

Answer 6

The process of producing light of any kind at the moment is caused by the excitation of photons by inducing an electrical field thus heat an element causing the element to glow. The movement of photons in and of themselves will alwayss create heat. However you should alway remember that all light is invisible until it strikes an object that reflects or absorbs it's path.

Answer 7

i don't think so because light is a product of a heat reaction. Like when iron is hot, it turns red. Bulbs glow because the tungsten wire in it is heated. The sun emits light due to the heat generated by fussion reaction of Hydrogen. u can find many other examples.

Answer 8

The amont of heat generated may be different but it seems light is generated alonng with some heat.

Answer 9

LED's create light by dropping electrons down a potential drop, this process by itself is 100% efficient. However while the electrons travel through the semiconductor PN junction they "bump into" the metal atoms, which gives causes the semiconductor atoms to jiggle randomly, ie. heats them.

Answer 10

I think LED's produce light without heat.