Eli5: What is the difference between natural and artificial light; and why can some plants thrive on artificial light?
In: 3
Natural light is the term given to direct or indirect sunlight. Artificial lights are light that come from other sources. (if you want to be stricter about it, artificial light is light that comes from man made sources).
Light is light. What characterizes light is the frequency spectrum and the intensity within that spectrum. This as interpreted by our eyes and brains as color. It is entirely possible for artificial light to match natural light. However it is uncommon.
Sun light is very intense – don’t ever look directly at the sun. Replicating it would be quite energy intensive and wasteful. Most artificial lights are much less intense than the sun and our eyes do fairly well even in less intense light.
Plants have evolved and adapted to their particular ecosystem. Most fully grown trees are adapted to handle (and sometimes require) natural direct sunlight. Some plants have evolved to require less than the full sun intensity. Generally speaking these would be plants that grow in the shade of other plants and trees. These kind of plants will also do fairly well under artificial lights which are typically less intense than direct sunlight.
Other factors also come into play. Sun light also heats up stuff very quickly. Some plants are not adapted to handle increased temperatures and will not thrive under the hot direct sun. So it isn’t simply about natural or artificial lights.
Latest Answers