Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: Jennifer Clark on 10/09/2009 08:30:03

Title: How is light transformed into other types of energy?
Post by: Jennifer Clark on 10/09/2009 08:30:03
Jennifer Clark asked the Naked Scientists:
   
Wind / solar energy can be transformed into electrical energy then heat / light / so on...

Light is a form of energy, right?  If so, how is it transformed - what is the type of energy that its transformed into?

What do you think?
Title: How is light transformed into other types of energy?
Post by: Nizzle on 10/09/2009 16:23:57
It can be converted to Chemical Reaction energy through the process of Photosynthesis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photosynthesis) in plants.

It can also be converted to Electricity in Photoelectric Cells (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photoelectric_Cell)

It can also be converted to Heat in anything that's painted black
Title: How is light transformed into other types of energy?
Post by: lyner on 10/09/2009 17:06:46
Or any colour not perfectly white!
Title: How is light transformed into other types of energy?
Post by: Vern on 10/09/2009 21:26:18
Light can also transfer momentum when it strikes an object so we can add kinetic energy.
Title: How is light transformed into other types of energy?
Post by: syhprum on 11/09/2009 06:57:11
High energy electromagnetic radiation can also transform into particle anti particle pairs.
Title: How is light transformed into other types of energy?
Post by: yor_on on 04/10/2009 02:20:08
I'm not sure it's transformed at all?
Energy as a concept is not defined even though we can see its effects clear enough.
It's that thingie 'not there' that somehow transform into 'cause and effect chains' controlled by SpaceTime, and us of course, manipulating their relations.
Title: How is light transformed into other types of energy?
Post by: Vern on 04/10/2009 22:45:48
Yes; there need be no transformation. All that is needed is to somehow trap the radiation in a local area. We can do it with a mirrored box for example. I like to avoid magic when thinking of physical phenomena. There is no need for a magical transformation when we realize that there are mechanisms within electromagnetic phenomena that can trap a photon in a repeating local pattern.