Heat Camera

Stand in front of the screen and see yourself in infrared. This camera is sensitive to infrared light and picks up the heat emitted by your body. The camera displays this heat as a color image on the large screen.

Warmer objects emit more infrared light than cooler ones. Different parts of your body are often different temperatures, as revealed by the camera.

Because humans are warm blooded, they give off invisible heat waves. In the human body, specific areas where the blood flows are increased tend to be warm. The warmer the area, the brighter the color image in infrared. Different tissues handle blood flow at different rates.

By using infrared (IR) cameras doctors can determine if specific organs are working properly. The police and the military also use IR for different jobs. Searching for people or warm blooded animals is made easier by using infrared scopes or cameras.

Satellites orbiting in space can monitor herds of cattle, analyze ocean water or river flow and observe surface features on Earth using infrared waves. French fries at most fast-food locations are kept warm by lamps that are mostly infrared lamps.

Questions to Ask

Is your hair colder than your forehead? Why?

If you put your hand on your cheek, will your cheek get darker or lighter? Why?

Who’s the coldest person in your group?

Do you know why some people are warmer than others?

What happens to your image if you walk around the room quickly and then stand in front of the camera?

How could this type of image help doctors look for medical conditions where blood flow is studied?

Relevant Arkansas Science Frameworks
PS 5.5.6, PS 7.5.2, PS 7.5.3, PS 7.5.5, PS 7.5.6, PS 7.6.1, PS 7.6.3,PS 7.8.9, PS 7.8.10, PS 7.8.11, PS 7.8.13, PS 7.8.14

"Mini-Vibe" — An activity to do at home or in the classroom