How are lights glowing at very hot temperatures like 5000K and 6500K kept relatively cool to touch?

Question

Also, why do their components and things in close proximity not melt or catch fire?

In: 0

Answer 1

To build on what others said, everything that’s not at 0K emits light, more precisely, everything emits EM radiation. The hotter something is, the higher the frequency of the emitted light. Things that are barely hot to touch (~300K) emit only infrared light but as they get progressively hotter they start emitting red, then orange, yellow, and so on up the rainbow.

A 5000K lamp is a lamp that emits the same light color as a 5000K body