What exactly is infrared radiation?

Infrared radiation is like the warmth you feel when you stand close to a fire or hold your hands near a toaster.

Imagine you’re sitting by a campfire on a chilly night. You don’t have to touch the fire to feel its heat, you can just sit there, feeling the warmth coming from it. That’s infrared radiation at work! It's like invisible waves of heat that travel through the air and land on your skin, making you feel cozy.

Invisible means you can't see it, but you can feel it, just like how your favorite blanket feels soft even though it has no color. Infrared is a type of light, but instead of being visible, it’s felt as heat.

Think about the sun on a warm day. You can feel its warmth through your clothes or even when you’re inside a room with the windows open. That's infrared radiation coming from the sun and passing right through the air to reach you.

Infrared is used in lots of cool things, like remote controls for your TV and thermometers that tell how hot something is without touching it. So next time you feel warm without a reason, remember, it might be infrared saying hello!