Disadvantages Of Sunlight

Plants only need a few elements to thrive, which are water, air, nutrients, and sunlight. Sunlight is beneficial to a plant’s health because it gives off different types of UV rays that help a plant prosper. These UV rays can be either beneficial or harmful to plants. The intensity of these rays are dependent on 6 different elements: geography, altitude, time of year, time of day, weather conditions, and reflection. These components contribute to the amount of UV rays that are being absorbed by the plants. These factors vary how well a plant can grow while artificial light sources give a more controlled set of UV rays that are being transmitted to the plant. Some artificial light sources that are used are incandescent, fluorescent, LED, and

This form of radiation is measured on a scale called the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum. There are three different types of UV rays: UVA; has the longest wavelength, UVB, and UVC; has the shortest wavelength (Center for Devices). UVA and UVB rays are transmitted through the atmosphere while UVC and some UVB rays are absorbed by the Earth’s ozone layer. There are many factors that contribute to the amount UV rays that are transmitted: geography, altitude, time of year, time of day, weather conditions, and reflection (Center for Devices). The closer you are to the sun, the stronger the UV rays, for example, if you are at the equator, the amount of UV radiation is the strongest. Higher altitudes have greater UV radiation exposure due to the thinner atmosphere. During summer, there is more UV radiation because the sun is in a more direct angle. The time of day when UV rays are most intense is noon, when the UV rays have the least amount of distance to travel. This amount increases during summer months. Even during cloudy weather, UV rays are being transmitted, increasing the risk of damage due to ignorance. UV rays can also be reflected off of surfaces like snow, sand, grass, and water. There are many factors contributing to the amount of UV rays that are transmitted into the Earth’s

Sunlight is the preferred source of a plant’s energy because it emits all the elements that are needed by plants. Artificial lights can only produce a limited amount of the required components due to some restrictions of technology. Some lights can even damage the plants due to an intense amount of heat that is produced. Sunlight actually helps plants by helping them build up a resistance by making them produce a sunscreen-like substance, making their smell, taste, color, and resistance to disease increase. Sunlight is not a constant source due to changes in the weather, but artificial lights are constant as they do not rely on perfect conditions to reach plants. The effect that artificial light has on plants also depends on the type of bulb that is used, which vary in prices, heat, and its replication of natural sunlight. Although sunlight has all of the essential elements that allows a plant to photosynthesize, artificial lights give some of the same benefits and are more reliable.

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