What is radiation?

Radiation is when energy moves from one place to another without needing anything to carry it.

Imagine you're sitting on a sunny day, feeling the warmth of the sun on your skin. That warmth is like radiation, it's energy traveling through space and landing on you, even though there’s nothing touching you.

Think about when you speak softly in a quiet room, and someone across the room still hears you. The sound waves travel through the air to reach them. Radiation is kind of like that soft whisper, it's energy moving from one place to another, even if they’re not touching.

Some things, like the sun or a light bulb, give off radiation because they're hot. They send out tiny bits of energy called waves, and those waves can travel through space until they hit something, like your skin, or a plant, or even you when you’re reading this.

So next time you feel warm from the sun or see light shining through a window, remember: that’s radiation at work!