Article
Article
Ultraviolet radiation
Article By:
Pau, Stanley College of Optical Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona.
Last reviewed:March 2019
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.719800
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- Ultraviolet radiation, published January 2014:Download PDF
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Electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range 4–400 nanometers (nm). Ultraviolet radiation is a more energetic form of light than the visible light human eyes are able to perceive. As its name implies, the ultraviolet region of the electromagnetic spectrum begins at the short wavelength (violet) limit of visibility and extends to the wavelength of long x-rays. Important phenomena associated with ultraviolet radiation include biological effects and applications, the generation of fluorescence (Fig. 1), and chemical analysis through characteristic absorption or fluorescence. See also: Absorption of electromagnetic radiation; Color vision; Fluorescence; Light; Ultraviolet radiation (biology); Vision
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