LumaSense Technologies MC320 Manual - Manual (Page 19)

MC320 Thermal Imager Manual Principle of Thermal Imaging 19
4 Principle of Thermal Imaging
All materials above 0 degrees Kelvin (-273 degrees C) emit
infrared energy. The infrared energy emitted from the measured
object is converted into an electrical signal by the imaging sensor
in the camera and displayed on a monitor as a color or
monochrome thermal image. The basic principle is explained in
the following sections.
4.1 Infrared Radiation
The infrared ray is a form of electromagnetic radiation the same
as radio waves, microwaves, ultraviolet rays, visible light, X-rays,
and gamma rays. All these forms, which collectively make up the
electromagnetic spectrum, are similar in that they emit energy in
the form of electromagnetic waves traveling at the speed of
light. The major difference between each ‘band’ in the spectrum
is in their wavelength, which correlates to the amount of energy
the waves carry. For example, while gamma rays have
wavelengths millions of times smaller than those of visible light,
radio waves have wavelengths that are billions of times longer
than those of visible light.
A Spectrum of
Electromagnetic
Radiation
The wavelength of the infrared radiation ‘band’ is 0.78 to
1000µm (micrometers). This is longer than the wavelength of
visible light yet shorter that radio waves. The wavelengths of
infrared radiation are classified from the near infrared to the far
infrared.