Infrared radiation is more harmful to the eye than ultraviolet because it is which of the following?

Infrared radiation is more harmful to the eye than ultraviolet because it is which of the following?

• A. It is very penetrating and passes through the cornea to the retina, causing permanent damage
• B. It is absorbed by the cornea and prevented from reaching deeper structures
• C. It has higher energy than UV
• D. It is fully blocked by the eyelids

Answer: (A)

Infrared radiation harms the eye mainly through heat that can reach deeper tissues, not just the surface. While UV tends to be absorbed by the cornea and lens, infrared energy can penetrate inward and deposit heat in the retina, potentially causing irreversible thermal damage. That deeper reach is what makes infrared more risky to retinal structures, hence the statement that it can pass through the cornea to the retina and cause permanent damage. The other ideas don’t fit: infrared doesn’t have higher photon energy than ultraviolet (UV photons carry more energy per photon), eyelids don’t fully block infrared, and saying it’s absorbed and stopped at the cornea ignores the deeper thermal effects infrared can produce.

Infrared radiation harms the eye mainly through heat that can reach deeper tissues, not just the surface. While UV tends to be absorbed by the cornea and lens, infrared energy can penetrate inward and deposit heat in the retina, potentially causing irreversible thermal damage. That deeper reach is what makes infrared more risky to retinal structures, hence the statement that it can pass through the cornea to the retina and cause permanent damage. The other ideas don’t fit: infrared doesn’t have higher photon energy than ultraviolet (UV photons carry more energy per photon), eyelids don’t fully block infrared, and saying it’s absorbed and stopped at the cornea ignores the deeper thermal effects infrared can produce.