Spectral Colours & RGB Colours

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This diagram shows the six spectral colours associated with the colours of the rainbow.

  • The top half of the diagram shows that each of these spectral colours can be produced by a single wavelength of light.
  • The bottom half of the diagram shows that three spectral colours (red, green and blue) can be combined in pairs to produce orange, yellow and violet.

Remember that:

  • Spectral colours are produced by a single wavelength of light. So each individual wavelength of visible light produces a different spectral colour.
  • Rainbows are produced by spectral colours as sunlight is refracted and dispersed by raindrops.
  • Red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet are familiar spectral colours.

Description

Spectral Colours & RGB Colours

TRY SOME QUICK QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS TO GET STARTED
RGB is a colour model used to produce a full palette of colours by mixing red, green and blue light sources in different proportions.
RGB refers to the colours red, green and blue. These are the primary colours used by the RGB colour model to mix wavelengths of light to produce a palette of as many as 16 million colours.
Yes! When spectral colours are arranged in a diagram, the order in which they appear corresponds with their wavelength. The easiest way to show this is a band of colours of increasing wavelength with red at one end and violet at the other.

About the diagram

About the diagram
  • This diagram shows the six spectral colours associated with the colours of the rainbow.
  • The top half of the diagram shows that each of these spectral colours can be produced by a single wavelength of light.
  • The bottom half of the diagram shows that three spectral colours (red, green and blue) can be combined in pairs to produce orange, yellow and violet.
Remember that:
  • Spectral colours are produced by a single wavelength of light. So each individual wavelength of visible light produces a different spectral colour.
  • Rainbows are produced by spectral colours as sunlight is refracted and dispersed by raindrops.
  • Red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet are familiar spectral colours.
  • The visible spectrum contains a continuum of spectral colours.
  • The wavelength corresponding with each colour is shown in nanometres (nm). The wavelengths selected for each colour are for illustration only.
  • In practice, the choice of wavelengths for primary colours usually depends on factors such as the colour model being used, the gamut of colours that a display device can produce and the context in which colours are to be viewed.
Remember also:

Some key terms

Wavelength

Wavelength is a measurement from any point on the path of a wave to the same point on its next ...

Visible spectrum

The visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum is called the visible spectrum. The visible spectrum is the range of wavelengths ...

RGB colour model

To be clear about the RGB colour model it is useful to remember first that: The visible spectrum is the ...

Electromagnetic spectrum

The electromagnetic spectrum includes electromagnetic waves with all possible wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation, ranging from low energy radio waves through ...

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