Is the observation that UV-B radiation is a more important cause of sunburn in humans than UV-A radiation consistent with the answer to part (c)?

Verified step by step guidance

Step 1: Understand the difference between UV-A and UV-B radiation. UV-A has a longer wavelength (320-400 nm) and is less energetic, while UV-B has a shorter wavelength (290-320 nm) and is more energetic.

Step 2: Recall that the energy of electromagnetic radiation is inversely proportional to its wavelength. This means that UV-B, with its shorter wavelength, has higher energy compared to UV-A.

Step 3: Consider the biological effects of UV radiation. Higher energy radiation, like UV-B, can cause more damage to biological tissues, leading to sunburn.

Step 4: Review the answer to part (c) to see if it discusses the energy or biological impact of UV-A and UV-B radiation, which would help determine if the observation is consistent.

Step 5: Compare the information from part (c) with the known effects of UV-A and UV-B to assess if the observation about UV-B being a more important cause of sunburn aligns with the explanation provided.

Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Types of UV Radiation

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is divided into three types: UVA, UVB, and UVC. UVA rays penetrate the skin more deeply and are primarily associated with skin aging, while UVB rays are responsible for causing sunburn and play a significant role in developing skin cancer. Understanding the differences in their effects on the skin is crucial for evaluating their relative importance in causing sunburn.

Mechanism of Sunburn

Sunburn occurs when the skin is damaged by excessive exposure to UV radiation, leading to inflammation and pain. UVB radiation is particularly effective at causing this damage because it directly affects the DNA in skin cells, triggering a protective response that results in redness and peeling. This mechanism highlights why UVB is often considered a more significant contributor to sunburn than UVA.

Photoprotection and Sunscreen

Sunscreens are formulated to protect the skin from harmful UV radiation, and they often specify their effectiveness against UVA and UVB rays. Broad-spectrum sunscreens are designed to block both types, but many products emphasize UVB protection due to its direct link to sunburn and skin cancer. Understanding how sunscreens work can help clarify the importance of UVB in preventing sunburn.

Related Practice

Textbook Question

Certain elements emit light of a specific wavelength when they are burned or heated in a non-luminous flame. Historically, chemists used such emission wavelengths to determine whether specific elements were present in a sample. Some characteristic wavelengths for a few of the elements are given in the following table: Ag 328.1 nm Fe 372.0 nm Au 267.6 nm K 404.7 nm Ba 455.4 nm Mg 285.2 nm Ca 422.7 nm Na 589.6 nm Cu 324.8 nm Ni 341.5 nm (a) Determine which of these emissions occur in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum.

Textbook Question

Certain elements emit light of a specific wavelength when they are burned or heated in a non-luminous flame. Historically, chemists used such emission wavelengths to determine whether specific elements were present in a sample. Some characteristic wavelengths for a few of the elements are given in the following table: Ag 328.1 nm Fe 372.0 nm Au 267.6 nm K 404.7 nm Ba 455.4 nm Mg 285.2 nm Ca 422.7 nm Na 589.6 nm Cu 324.8 nm Ni 341.5 nm (c) When burned, a sample of an unknown substance is found to emit light of frequency 6.58 × 10¹⁴ s^-1. Which of these elements is probably in the sample?

Textbook Question

In January 2006, the New Horizons space probe was launched from Earth with the mission to perform a flyby study of Pluto. The arrival at the dwarf planet was estimated to happen after nine years, in 2015. The distance between Earth and Pluto varies depending on the location of the planets in their orbits, but at their closest, the distance is 4.2 billion kilometers (2.6 billion miles). Calculate the minimum amount of time it takes for a transmitted signal from Pluto to reach the Earth.

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Textbook Question

The watt is the derived SI unit of power, the measure of energy per unit time: 1 W = 1 J>s. A semiconductor laser in a DVD player has an output wavelength of 650 nm and a power level of 5.0 mW. How many photons strike the DVD surface during the playing of a DVD 90 minutes in length?

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Textbook Question

In an experiment to study the photoelectric effect, a scientist measures the kinetic energy of ejected electrons as a function of the frequency of radiation hitting a metal surface. She obtains the following plot. The point labeled 'n0' corresponds to light with a wavelength of 542 nm. (a) What is the value of n0 in s - 1?

Textbook Question

Consider a transition in which the electron of a hydrogen atom is excited from n = 1 to n = ∞. (a) What is the end result of this transition?