If visible light has more energy than microwaves, why isn't visible light dangerous?












3














Light waves are a type of electromagnetic wave and they fall between 600-700 nm long. Microwaves are less energetic but seem to be more dangerous than visible light. Is visible light dangerous at all and why not?






visible-light electromagnetic-radiation microwaves







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  • 1




    how are microwaves dangerous?
    – ZeroTheHero
    2 hours ago










  • Related : Why do we use microwaves in microwave ovens ?
    – StephenG
    2 hours ago










  • @ZeroTheHero : depends on the intensity of microwave radiation. If it can cook our meals, it can cook us :-(. For example, it can cause blindness and sterility through thermal effect. See osha.gov/SLTC/radiofrequencyradiation/hazards.html
    – akhmeteli
    1 hour ago
















3














Light waves are a type of electromagnetic wave and they fall between 600-700 nm long. Microwaves are less energetic but seem to be more dangerous than visible light. Is visible light dangerous at all and why not?






visible-light electromagnetic-radiation microwaves







share|cite|improve this question


















  • 1




    how are microwaves dangerous?
    – ZeroTheHero
    2 hours ago










  • Related : Why do we use microwaves in microwave ovens ?
    – StephenG
    2 hours ago










  • @ZeroTheHero : depends on the intensity of microwave radiation. If it can cook our meals, it can cook us :-(. For example, it can cause blindness and sterility through thermal effect. See osha.gov/SLTC/radiofrequencyradiation/hazards.html
    – akhmeteli
    1 hour ago














3












3








3







Light waves are a type of electromagnetic wave and they fall between 600-700 nm long. Microwaves are less energetic but seem to be more dangerous than visible light. Is visible light dangerous at all and why not?






visible-light electromagnetic-radiation microwaves







share|cite|improve this question













Light waves are a type of electromagnetic wave and they fall between 600-700 nm long. Microwaves are less energetic but seem to be more dangerous than visible light. Is visible light dangerous at all and why not?






visible-light electromagnetic-radiation microwaves




visible-light electromagnetic-radiation microwaves






share|cite|improve this question













share|cite|improve this question











share|cite|improve this question




share|cite|improve this question










asked 2 hours ago









suse

1544




1544








  • 1




    how are microwaves dangerous?
    – ZeroTheHero
    2 hours ago










  • Related : Why do we use microwaves in microwave ovens ?
    – StephenG
    2 hours ago










  • @ZeroTheHero : depends on the intensity of microwave radiation. If it can cook our meals, it can cook us :-(. For example, it can cause blindness and sterility through thermal effect. See osha.gov/SLTC/radiofrequencyradiation/hazards.html
    – akhmeteli
    1 hour ago














  • 1




    how are microwaves dangerous?
    – ZeroTheHero
    2 hours ago










  • Related : Why do we use microwaves in microwave ovens ?
    – StephenG
    2 hours ago










  • @ZeroTheHero : depends on the intensity of microwave radiation. If it can cook our meals, it can cook us :-(. For example, it can cause blindness and sterility through thermal effect. See osha.gov/SLTC/radiofrequencyradiation/hazards.html
    – akhmeteli
    1 hour ago








1




1




how are microwaves dangerous?
– ZeroTheHero
2 hours ago




how are microwaves dangerous?
– ZeroTheHero
2 hours ago












Related : Why do we use microwaves in microwave ovens ?
– StephenG
2 hours ago




Related : Why do we use microwaves in microwave ovens ?
– StephenG
2 hours ago












@ZeroTheHero : depends on the intensity of microwave radiation. If it can cook our meals, it can cook us :-(. For example, it can cause blindness and sterility through thermal effect. See osha.gov/SLTC/radiofrequencyradiation/hazards.html
– akhmeteli
1 hour ago




@ZeroTheHero : depends on the intensity of microwave radiation. If it can cook our meals, it can cook us :-(. For example, it can cause blindness and sterility through thermal effect. See osha.gov/SLTC/radiofrequencyradiation/hazards.html
– akhmeteli
1 hour ago










1 Answer
1






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3














If you stare at the Sun you’ll go blind. And if you spend a lot of time in the sun, you’re likely to get skin cancers. So visible light seems plenty dangerous to me.



Some of the damage may actually be from infrared and ultraviolet light, but these are close in frequency to visible light and very far from microwaves.



By the way, the intensity also matters, not just the frequency. In terms of photons, it matters not only how energetic each photon is, but also how many photons are arriving per second.






share|cite|improve this answer

















  • 1




    not to forget laser guns,
    – anna v
    1 hour ago










  • @annav I started a fire at DESY with a CW polarimeter laser, and burned myself with a pulsed polarimeter laser on the other side of the ring.
    – JEB
    1 hour ago










  • @JEB, well done sir!!!
    – niels nielsen
    24 mins ago











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1 Answer
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active

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3














If you stare at the Sun you’ll go blind. And if you spend a lot of time in the sun, you’re likely to get skin cancers. So visible light seems plenty dangerous to me.



Some of the damage may actually be from infrared and ultraviolet light, but these are close in frequency to visible light and very far from microwaves.



By the way, the intensity also matters, not just the frequency. In terms of photons, it matters not only how energetic each photon is, but also how many photons are arriving per second.






share|cite|improve this answer

















  • 1




    not to forget laser guns,
    – anna v
    1 hour ago










  • @annav I started a fire at DESY with a CW polarimeter laser, and burned myself with a pulsed polarimeter laser on the other side of the ring.
    – JEB
    1 hour ago










  • @JEB, well done sir!!!
    – niels nielsen
    24 mins ago
















3














If you stare at the Sun you’ll go blind. And if you spend a lot of time in the sun, you’re likely to get skin cancers. So visible light seems plenty dangerous to me.



Some of the damage may actually be from infrared and ultraviolet light, but these are close in frequency to visible light and very far from microwaves.



By the way, the intensity also matters, not just the frequency. In terms of photons, it matters not only how energetic each photon is, but also how many photons are arriving per second.






share|cite|improve this answer

















  • 1




    not to forget laser guns,
    – anna v
    1 hour ago










  • @annav I started a fire at DESY with a CW polarimeter laser, and burned myself with a pulsed polarimeter laser on the other side of the ring.
    – JEB
    1 hour ago










  • @JEB, well done sir!!!
    – niels nielsen
    24 mins ago














3












3








3






If you stare at the Sun you’ll go blind. And if you spend a lot of time in the sun, you’re likely to get skin cancers. So visible light seems plenty dangerous to me.



Some of the damage may actually be from infrared and ultraviolet light, but these are close in frequency to visible light and very far from microwaves.



By the way, the intensity also matters, not just the frequency. In terms of photons, it matters not only how energetic each photon is, but also how many photons are arriving per second.






share|cite|improve this answer












If you stare at the Sun you’ll go blind. And if you spend a lot of time in the sun, you’re likely to get skin cancers. So visible light seems plenty dangerous to me.



Some of the damage may actually be from infrared and ultraviolet light, but these are close in frequency to visible light and very far from microwaves.



By the way, the intensity also matters, not just the frequency. In terms of photons, it matters not only how energetic each photon is, but also how many photons are arriving per second.







share|cite|improve this answer












share|cite|improve this answer



share|cite|improve this answer










answered 2 hours ago









G. Smith

4,636919




4,636919








  • 1




    not to forget laser guns,
    – anna v
    1 hour ago










  • @annav I started a fire at DESY with a CW polarimeter laser, and burned myself with a pulsed polarimeter laser on the other side of the ring.
    – JEB
    1 hour ago










  • @JEB, well done sir!!!
    – niels nielsen
    24 mins ago














  • 1




    not to forget laser guns,
    – anna v
    1 hour ago










  • @annav I started a fire at DESY with a CW polarimeter laser, and burned myself with a pulsed polarimeter laser on the other side of the ring.
    – JEB
    1 hour ago










  • @JEB, well done sir!!!
    – niels nielsen
    24 mins ago








1




1




not to forget laser guns,
– anna v
1 hour ago




not to forget laser guns,
– anna v
1 hour ago












@annav I started a fire at DESY with a CW polarimeter laser, and burned myself with a pulsed polarimeter laser on the other side of the ring.
– JEB
1 hour ago




@annav I started a fire at DESY with a CW polarimeter laser, and burned myself with a pulsed polarimeter laser on the other side of the ring.
– JEB
1 hour ago












@JEB, well done sir!!!
– niels nielsen
24 mins ago




@JEB, well done sir!!!
– niels nielsen
24 mins ago


















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