Waves

YOU ARE LEARNING:

Visible Light

Only a limited range of EM radiation is visible to us: the visible spectrum, where each colour of light has its own narrow band of wavelength and frequency.

In this lesson we shall look more more closely at the visible spectrum which is part of the electromagnetic spectrum.

The visible spectrum is named like this because human eyes ____________ the frequencies.

What is the range of wavelengths of the visible spectrum?

Can you recall what colour is?

Different colours are associated to different types of light. Which properties of light waves are responsible for their colour? Pick all the options that you think are correct.

You can select multiple answers

Visible light is a continuous range of colours within the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum. Which colour has the lowest frequency and longest wavelength?

Let's look at some more properties of visible light and colour.

What colour is a material that reflects all frequencies of light?

What colour do you think materials are that absorb all frequencies of light?

So white is a combination of all the frequencies of visible light, and black is the absence of all light. Now, a green material in one which...

What colour is a material which transmits all frequencies of light?

To sum up!

Our eyes can only detect a limited range of frequencies of electromagnetic radiation, namely the visible spectrum.

Each colour has its own narrow band of wavelength and frequency.

The colour of an object is determined by the frequencies of light which get reflected off it.

An object which transmits some light will appear translucent. If it transmits all light, it will appear transparent. It it transmits no light, it will appear opaque.

Visible light is what allows us to see things and what gives them their colour. It is also used for other things, can you guess what? Pick all the options you think are correct.

You can select multiple answers