Light rays, heat rays, x- rays and ultraviolet rays are all farms of radiation. Radiation wavelengths have an amazingly large span. The longest are radio waves, the shortest gamma rays. About halfway between the longest and shortest wavelengths are light waves, or visible radiation.
Light waves themselves have a great variety of wavelengths. Each color is a different wavelength. Red light is the longest wavelength visible to man. Next is orange, followed by yellow, green, blue and violet, which is the shortest wavelength radiation that can be seen.
Just past the violet light wavelength are the radiations in what scientists call the ultraviolet range. The sun emits these rays, or does certain man made lamps specially produced for this purpose. Ultraviolet wavelength range from just above those of violet light to more than 2,50,000 waves per inch.
Because ultraviolet rays are shorter than other rays, they are penetrating. From the sun these rays, along with heat, reach the nerves in your skin. Still, only about half of the ultraviolet rays from the sun reach the ground. Many are absorbed high up in the earth’s atmosphere.
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