Non ionizing and ionizing radiation

visible, infrared, and ultraviolet light;
microwaves; radio waves; and radiofrequency energy from cell phones.

Non-ionizing radiation includes

non ionizing radiation

Radiation in the ultraviolet band and at lower energies (to the left of ultraviolet) is called

ionizing radiation

while at the higher energies to the right of the ultraviolet band is called

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation

comes from the sun, welding, black lights and UV lasers.

UVC rays

are absorbed by the ozone layer and never actually reach the Earth.

Both UVA and UVB light

are important for humans in the production of Vitamin D.

visible light

portion of the electromagnetic spectrum can be seen by humans, animals and other organisms.

greenhouse effect

When the atmosphere has a lot of water vapor, along with nitrogen, sulfur and fluorocarbons, the Infrared radiation gets trapped and causes the atmospheric
temperature to rise.

microwave radiation

comes from microwave ovens, radar, transmission towers, satellite transmissions, the sun and Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation.

Cosmic Microwave Background

radiation left over from the Big Bang when the universe began.

microwave

works because microwaves excite the water molecules in food and cause them to vibrate, generating heat and cooking the food.

radio frequency (RF) waves.

AM and FM radio broadcasts, Wi-Fi signals, cell phones, amateur radio, television and airport security scanners use

Extremely low frequency (ELF) waves

are on the far end of the electromagnetic spectrum and come from power lines, electrical equipment and wiring, and electrical appliances such as electric blankets, refrigerators, razors and hair dryers. ELF waves can go through water so they are also used for detection by submarines.

National Cancer Institute,

according to them, there is no
experimental evidence showing that normal levels of ELF radiation are dangerous to humans.

argon, helium and neon, ruby crystals, chemicals and liquid dyes.

Lasers are also made from the elements:

Alpha, beta, and neutron particles, and gamma and X-rays.

lonizing radiation takes a few forms:

unstable atoms

All types are caused by (Alpha, beta, and neutron particles, and gamma and X-rays.)

alpha radiation

occurs when an atom undergoes radioactive decay, giving off a particle (called an alpha particle) consisting of two protons and two neutrons (essentially the nucleus of a helium-4 atom), changing the originating atom to one of an element with an atomic number 2 less and atomic weight 4 less than it started with.

beta radiation

takes the form of either an electron or a positron (a particle with the size and mass of an electron, but with a positive charge) being emitted from an atom.

gamma radiation

unlike alpha or beta, does not consist of any particles, instead consisting of a photon of energy being emitted from an unstable nucleus. Having no mass or charge, gamma radiation can travel much farther through air than alpha or beta, losing (on average) half its energy for every 500 feet.

gamma waves

can be stopped by a thick or dense enough layer material, with high atomic number materials such as

x-ray

are similar to gamma radiation, with the primary difference being that they originate from the electron cloud.

x-ray

This is generally caused by energy changes in an electron, such as moving from a higher energy level to a lower one, causing the excess energy to be released.

carcinogen

x-rays are classified as

radiation

exists all around us, from both natural and manmade sources,

ionizing and non-ionizing radiation.

two forms of radiation

ionizing radiation

is a form of energy that acts by removing electrons from atoms and molecules of materials that include air, water, and living tissue.

ionizing radiation

can travel unseen and pass through these materials.

non-ionizing radiation

is a type of low-energy radiation that does not have enough energy to remove an electron (negative particle) from an atom or molecule.

Most types of non-ionizing radiation

have not been found to cause cancer.

the sun

emits UVA, UVB and UVC rays.

red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.

This type of light consists of seven colors:

white

When all the colors are present at one time, the light is

rainbow

are created when visible light passes through raindrops.

raindrops

act like a prism and break the light down into its individual colors.

Infrared radiation

from the sun is normally absorbed by the Earth's surface and the clouds, then released as heat into the atmosphere.

lasers

aren't a form of non-ionizing radiation, but they are made from it. can be made from visible light, UV and IR waves.