Volume 94 Issue 19 | p. 27
Issue Date: May 9, 2016

Periodic graphics: The chemistry of sunglasses

Chemical educator and Compound Interest blogger Andy Brunning describes how your shades protect your eyeballs from the sun’s radiation
By Andy Brunning
Department: Science & Technology
News Channels: Materials SCENE, Organic SCENE
Keywords: sunglasses, UV protection, photochromic lenses, napthopyran, tint
[+]Enlarge
This is an infographic describing what sunglasses are made of and how they can shade a person’s eyes from UV light with chemical coatings.
 

To download a pdf of this article, visit http://cenm.ag/sunglasses.

To see more of Brunning’s work, go to http://compoundchem.com. To see all of C&EN’s Periodic Graphics, visit http://cenm.ag/periodicgraphics.

This article has been translated into Spanish by Divulgame.org and can be found here.

 
Chemical & Engineering News
ISSN 0009-2347
Copyright © American Chemical Society
Comments
KAYIIRA JOSEPH (Mon May 09 13:04:28 EDT 2016)
This is good. What could be the effect of putting on sunglasses in winter?
Reply »
J. A. Beck (Wed May 11 16:07:46 EDT 2016)
Years ago I put my sunglasses through a UV/Vis against air & they blocked everything. I wear them religiously whenever the sun's out, winter too. I'm almost 70, have 20/20 vision, no glaucoma, no cataracts. I credit that to wearing sunglasses since I was in my teens to protect my eyes.
Reply »
Paul Krebaum (Thu May 19 02:54:07 EDT 2016)
Kayiira,

Snow is an excellent reflector of UV light, so sunglasses help protect against snow blindness and cornea damage. Water is also a good reflector. On my first trip to Arizona as a kid I spent an afternoon under an aluminum awning, but next to the in-ground pool. I wound up with a mild sunburn just from the reflected UV.

P.K.
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