Magic Bullets - Chemistry vs. 
Cancer

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    Sun and Clouds:
    UV and Your Skin
    An Interactive Simulation

    This activity will show you what different kinds of UV radiation can do to you. Click on any kind of UV radiation, and we'll show you how it affects your skin! Anytime you see a skin layer light up in red, that part of your skin is being affected by UV. Use what you learn in this simulation to answer the questions in the quiz below.

    Quiz

    1. Which skin layer is affected by solar radiation with a wavelength of:

        a. 300 nm
        b. 385 nm
        c. 150 nm

    2. Which type of UV radiation causes sunburn?

        a. UVA
        b. UVB
        c. UVC

    3. Which type of UV radiation is associated with tanning?

        a. UVA
        b. UVB
        c. UVC

    4. Sunscreen is most effective in blocking which type of radiation?

        a. UVA
        b. UVB
        c. UVC

    5. On a cloudy day which types of radiation from the sun are absorbed by the clouds?

        a. all UVA and some UVB
        b. all UVA and all UVB
        c. some UVB and all UVC

    6. If you go outdoors, the most effective thing you can do to protect yourself from UVB radiation is:

        a. only go out on cloudy days
        b. wear sunscreen
        c. wear sunglasses to avoid the glare

    For more information, at other Web sites...

      How Sunburns and Sun Tans Work — from Marshall Brain's HowStuffWorks.

      Sunlight, Ultraviolet Radiation, and the Skin — from the National Institutes of Health.

      Trying to Look SUNsational? Complexity Persists in Using Sunscreens — from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

      USDA UV-B Monitoring Program — contains information on UV radiation, especially UVB, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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    Sun and Clouds

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