What does ultraviolet rays mean?

Definitions for ultraviolet rays
ul·tra·vi·o·let rays

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word ultraviolet rays.

Wikipedia

  1. ultraviolet rays

    Ultraviolet (UV) is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelength from 10 nm (with a corresponding frequency around 30 PHz) to 400 nm (750 THz), shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays. UV radiation is present in sunlight, and constitutes about 10% of the total electromagnetic radiation output from the Sun. It is also produced by electric arcs, Cherenkov radiation, and specialized lights, such as mercury-vapor lamps, tanning lamps, and black lights. Although long-wavelength ultraviolet is not considered an ionizing radiation because its photons lack the energy to ionize atoms, it can cause chemical reactions and causes many substances to glow or fluoresce. Many practical applications, including chemical and biological effects, derive from the way that UV radiation can interact with organic molecules. These interactions can involve absorption or adjusting energy states in molecules, but do not necessarily involve heating.Short-wave ultraviolet light damages DNA and sterilizes surfaces with which it comes into contact. For humans, suntan and sunburn are familiar effects of exposure of the skin to UV light, along with an increased risk of skin cancer. The amount of UV light produced by the Sun means that the Earth would not be able to sustain life on dry land if most of that light were not filtered out by the atmosphere. More energetic, shorter-wavelength "extreme" UV below 121 nm ionizes air so strongly that it is absorbed before it reaches the ground. However, ultraviolet light (specifically, UVB) is also responsible for the formation of vitamin D in most land vertebrates, including humans. The UV spectrum, thus, has effects both beneficial and harmful to life. The lower wavelength limit of human vision is conventionally taken as 400 nm, so ultraviolet rays are invisible to humans, although people can sometimes perceive light at shorter wavelengths than this. Insects, birds, and some mammals can see near-UV (NUV) (i.e., slightly shorter wavelengths than what humans can see).

U.S. National Library of Medicine

  1. Ultraviolet Rays

    That portion of the electromagnetic spectrum immediately below the visible range and extending into the x-ray frequencies. The longer wavelengths (near-UV or biotic or vital rays) are necessary for the endogenous synthesis of vitamin D and are also called antirachitic rays; the shorter, ionizing wavelengths (far-UV or abiotic or extravital rays) are viricidal, bactericidal, mutagenic, and carcinogenic and are used as disinfectants.

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of ultraviolet rays in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of ultraviolet rays in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2


Translations for ultraviolet rays

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

  • ультрафиолетовые лучиRussian
  • ultravioletta strålarSwedish
  • புற ஊதா கதிர்கள்Tamil

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"ultraviolet rays." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 24 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/ultraviolet+rays>.

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