Can Infrared Waves Travel Through Solids?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Show activity on this post. I would express it differently, because it is not only infrared that

does not pass through solid objects

, but all frequencies of the electromagnetic spectrum from ultraviolet down, with the exception of objects made up of organized lattices.

What can infrared waves pass through?

Infrared waves have longer wavelengths than visible light and can pass through

dense regions of gas and dust in space

with less scattering and absorption. Thus, infrared energy can also reveal objects in the universe that cannot be seen in visible light using optical telescopes.

Can infrared travel in solid?


No, it cannot

. All common building materials in the usual thickness used to build walls are completely opaque and sometimes reflecting in all IR wavelengths. Many people got it wrong from movies. Far infrared used by thermal imagers is even more problematic: basically ALL material are opaque at this wavelength.

What can infrared waves not pass through?

Infrared radiation in this range will not pass through many types of material that pass visible light such as

ordinary window glass and plastic

. However it will pass through, with some attenuation, material that is opaque to visible light such as germanium and silicon.

Can infrared pass through wood?

Materials that Absorb IR Wavelengths

Aside from water vapor, bodies of water on the surface of the Earth also absorb IR wavelengths well.

Glass, Plexiglas, wood, brick, stone, asphalt and paper all absorb IR radiation

.

Can infrared pass through glass?

The transparency of glass to visible light makes it the most common way to let light into a building. But because

glass is also transparent to near-infrared radiation

— windows also let in heat, giving rise to the well-known greenhouse effect.

How far can infrared travel?

There is no universally accepted definition of the range of infrared radiation. Typically, it is taken to extend from the nominal red edge of the visible spectrum at

700 nanometers (nm) to 1 millimeter (mm)

. This range of wavelengths corresponds to a frequency range of approximately 430 THz down to 300 GHz.

Can infrared go through metal?


If you have a metal that is thin enough (i.e. thinner than the infrared skin depth), then you can pass infrared light straight through

. Keep in mind this would be metals with thicknesses of the order of tens to hundreds of nanometers depending on the metal.

Can infrared travel through walls?

Since infrared is a light wave, the signal is limited in distance and

cannot be sent through walls

or other solid objects.

Can infrared pass through clothes?

But one odd side effect of infrared photography is that,

in some cases, it can see right through clothing

. Not always, and the clothes have to be pretty thin in the first place.

Can infrared pass through black plastic?


Infrared light passes through most black plastic trash bags

, so you should be able to control your television even with the remote covered in plastic.

Can infrared pass through body?

The protein, after absorbing light from the far-red part of the spectrum, shines in the near-infrared, at wavelengths of around 700 nanometers. These longer wavelengths

can penetrate mammalian tissue and even pass through bone

.

Can infrared penetrate skin?


IR radiation can penetrate the epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue to differing extents depending on the exact wavelength range being studied

. Exposure to IR is perceived as heat [2].

Which animal can detect infrared waves?

In fact,

goldfish

are the only members of the animal kingdom that can see both infrared and ultraviolet light.

Can infrared pass through concrete?


Thermal cameras cannot see through concrete

. Concrete is too thick to block any possible penetration of infrared radiation. A thermal camera might be able to identify something inside the concrete like a pipe that causes a difference in the temperature on the surface of the concrete.

Does black absorb infrared?

It all comes down to the color: Why infrared prefers black to white. The heating process in plastics processing is much quicker for darker materials. The reason behind this is that

black plastic absorbs infrared radiation better than white or transparent materials

.

Does cardboard block infrared light?


IR-B will be well-blocked by cardboard

. The longer wavelengths of IR-C will transmit, especially for wavelengths outside the water absorption bands. But, it will generally be pretty lossy, and you wouldn’t want your cardboard too thick.

Does plexiglass block infrared?

Although

all plexiglass sheeting transmits infrared light, only this specialty sheeting blocks visible light and only transmits infrared

. The physical properties of infrared plastic are the same a traditional acrylic sheeting, with the only difference being the light transmission.

Can IR pass through acrylic?

Note:

All plexiglass sheet is infrared transmitting

. This grade is opaque to visible light and allows infrared light through. Unlike glass, you can put all grades of plexiglass in front of DVR’s, cable boxes, DVD players, etc. and your remote control, wireless router, etc. will still work.

How long is an infrared wave?

Infrared radiation (IR), sometimes referred to simply as infrared, is a region of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum where wavelengths range from about

700 nanometers (nm) to 1 millimeter (mm)

. Infrared waves are longer than those of visible light, but shorter than those of radio waves.

Why is infrared light hot?

Infrared energy is felt as heat because

it interacts with molecules by exciting them, causing them to move faster which increases the internal temperature of the object absorbing the infrared energy

.

What is the difference between infrared and near infrared?

Infrared light has a range of wavelengths, just like visible light has wavelengths that range from red light to violet.

“Near infrared” light is closest in wavelength to visible light

and “far infrared” is closer to the microwave region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Can infrared pass through water?


Infrared radiation is strongly absorbed by water

and by the atmosphere. Although invisible to the eye, infrared radiation can be detected as warmth by the skin.

Does aluminum foil reflect infrared?

The surface of aluminum has the ability NOT TO ABSORB, but

TO REFLECT 95% of the infrared rays

which strike it. Since aluminum foil has such a low mass to air ratio, very little conduction can take place, particularly when only 5% of the rays are absorbed.

Can infrared pass through aluminum?

Aluminum foil will kill all IR, bot high range and low.

Most plastics allow IR to pass through

. Glass will bock low frequency IR (red hot), but allow the passage of high frequency (white hot) IR.

Rachel Ostrander
Author
Rachel Ostrander
Rachel is a career coach and HR consultant with over 5 years of experience working with job seekers and employers. She holds a degree in human resources management and has worked with leading companies such as Google and Amazon. Rachel is passionate about helping people find fulfilling careers and providing practical advice for navigating the job market.