Chapter 14, Problem 19TE

To determine

The reason that the visible radiation couldn’t cause cell damage while as ultraviolet can.

Answer to Problem 19TE

The reason that the visible radiation couldn’t cause cell damage while as ultraviolet can is that visible radiation posses less energy than that of ultraviolet.

Explanation of Solution

The energy is related directly to the frequency of the light. When the frequency is higher, then more energy than the photon possesses. The frequency is inversely related to the wavelength. And hence the smaller wavelengths possess more energy than that of the longer wavelengths.

Ultraviolet waves have smaller wavelengths than that of visible lights. And hence possess more energy than that of visible light waves. When the ultraviolet falls on the skin, it could result in a chemical reaction due to the high energy. On the other hand, when the visible light falls on the skin, it could cause no damage to the skin due to the relatively negligible energy.

Conclusion:

Therefore, the reason that the visible radiation couldn’t cause cell damage while as ultraviolet can is that visible radiation posses less energy than that of ultraviolet.