How is infrared radiation used in everyday life?
Answers
One of the most common uses of infrared radiation is in heat-sensitive thermal imaging cameras. These can be used to study human and animal body heat patterns, but more often, they are used as night-vision cameras. These have uses in warfare, as security cameras and in nocturnal animal research. Infrared is also widely used in astronomy. Taking pictures of the universe in infrared can lead to some amazing discoveries. Astronomers can look at an area of the sky that appears empty and dark in the visual part of the electromagnetic spectrum and find the area full of activity in the infrared. Since most objects that are at all hot produce infrared radiation, whereas plenty of objects do not produce visible light, it is a vital tool in observational astronomy.
Infrared light is even used to heat food sometimes - special lamps that emit thermal infrared waves are often used in fast food restaurants! Shorter, near infrared waves are not hot at all - in fact you cannot even feel them. These shorter wavelengths are the ones used by your TV's remote control.