Arc radiation consists of which wavelengths?

Arc radiation consists of which wavelengths?

• A. Visible only
• B. Infrared and Ultraviolet
• C. Radio waves
• D. Gamma rays

Answer: (B)

Arc radiation comes from the very hot plasma in an electric arc, so it spans a broad range of wavelengths. The intense heat emits mainly infrared radiation, which carries a lot of the energy as heat, and it also emits ultraviolet radiation due to higher-energy photon emissions. You can also see visible light from the arc, but the most characteristic and safety-relevant portions of the spectrum are infrared and ultraviolet. The other options don’t reflect the typical arc spectrum: radio waves aren’t a main product of arc discharge, and gamma rays would require nuclear-level processes not present in a standard arc. Visual light is part of what you see, but infrared and ultraviolet describe the primary radiation components produced by the arc.

Arc radiation comes from the very hot plasma in an electric arc, so it spans a broad range of wavelengths. The intense heat emits mainly infrared radiation, which carries a lot of the energy as heat, and it also emits ultraviolet radiation due to higher-energy photon emissions. You can also see visible light from the arc, but the most characteristic and safety-relevant portions of the spectrum are infrared and ultraviolet. The other options don’t reflect the typical arc spectrum: radio waves aren’t a main product of arc discharge, and gamma rays would require nuclear-level processes not present in a standard arc. Visual light is part of what you see, but infrared and ultraviolet describe the primary radiation components produced by the arc.