What is the Difference Between Light Energy and Heat Energy

The key difference between light energy and heat energy is that light energy is a form of electromagnetic energy, whereas heat energy is a form of kinetic energy composed of random motion of the particles of a material.

Although heat and light are both types of energy, they are different from each other.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Light Energy 
3. What is Heat Energy
4. Light Energy vs Heat Energy in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Light Energy vs Heat Energy

What is Light Energy?

Light energy is a type of kinetic energy having the ability to make types of light visible to human eyes. We can define it as a form of electromagnetic radiation emitted from hot objects such as lasers, bulbs, and the sun. Light is composed of photons that are minute packets of energy. Light energy is emitted from stars, light bulbs, lasers, and hot objects. There are four types of light energy; they are visible light, X-ray, infrared, and UV light energy.

The heating up of atoms in an object causes the production of photons. Heat causes the excitement of electrons and results in earning extra energy. This energy is released in the form of a photon. Photons come out as the substance gets hotter.

Light has a wave form when it travels. But matter is not essential in carrying out the energy. This causes the light to travel through space where there is no air. Also, it is different from the case of sound waves because sound waves travel through solids, liquids, and gas. Moreover, light energy is very quick and can travel faster than anything.

The human eye can see the light. There are many commercial and scientific uses of light energy, such as food generation for all living organisms by plants, viewing objects around the organisms using eyes, giving beautiful colors to the world, etc.

What is Heat Energy?

Heat energy is the result of the movement of tiny particles named atoms, molecules, or ions in solids, liquids, and gases. Heat energy is able to transfer from one object to another. Heat is the flow or transfer due to the difference in temperature between the two objects.

There are three types of heat energy: radiation, conduction, and convection. All matter contains heat energy. If there is more heat energy present in an object, the hotter that object is. Radiation is energy that comes from a source, and it travels through space at the speed of light. Conduction is the process in which heat energy transmits through collisions between neighboring atoms of molecules. On the other hand, convection is the process by which heat transfers by the movement of a heated fluid such as air or water.

Heat energy is generated due to the motion of subatomic particles such as atoms, ions, and molecules to solids, gases, and liquids. This heat transfer occurs throughout systems from one to another due to the temperature difference between the two systems.

What is the Difference Between Light Energy and Heat Energy?

Light energy and heat energy are important types of energy that are able to move from one place to another. The key difference between light energy and heat energy is that light energy is a form of electromagnetic energy, whereas heat energy is a form of kinetic energy composed of random motion of the particles of a material.

The below infographic presents the differences between light energy and heat energy in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

Summary – Light Energy vs Heat Energy

Light energy is a type of kinetic energy having the ability to make types of light visible to human eyes. Heat energy is the result of the movement of tiny particles like atoms, molecules, or ions in solids, liquids, and gases. The key difference between light energy and heat energy is that light energy is a form of electromagnetic energy, whereas heat energy is a form of kinetic energy composed of random motion of the particles of a material.

Reference:

1. “What Is Light Energy? Uses of Light Energy & Sources.” BYJUS, 12 Aug. 2022.
2. Jones, Andrew Zimmerman. “A Scientific Way to Define Heat Energy.” ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Light energy (11793372165)” By Thomas Quine – Light energy (CC BY 2.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Heat Transfer” By BruceBlaus – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia