Visible Spectrum
$0.00
This diagram is about sunlight, the visible spectrum and which wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation correspond with the different colours we see in the world.
The diagram shows that wavelengths of light within the visible spectrum correspond with the different colours we see in the world.
Notice that:
- The white arrows in the diagram represent the Sun emitting sunlight at every wavelength of the visible spectrum.
- The term white light is used when all colours of the visible spectrum are mixed together.
- The coloured arrows represent six bands of wavelengths of visible light corresponding with red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet.
- The list on the left shows the range of wavelengths corresponding with each band of colour.
- The red arrow, for example, corresponds with wavelengths between 700 nanometres and 620 nanometres.
- Red is the colour an observer sees if any wavelength in that range strikes a neutral coloured surface.
- The scale along the bottom is marked in nanometres and shows the visible spectrum divided into coloured bands.
Description
Visible Spectrum
Visible Spectrum
TRY SOME QUICK QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS TO GET STARTED
About the diagram
About the diagram
- This diagram is about sunlight, the visible spectrum and which wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation correspond with the different colours we see in the world.
- The diagram shows that wavelengths of light within the visible spectrum correspond with the different colours we see in the world.
Notice that:
- The white arrows in the diagram represent the Sun emitting sunlight at every wavelength of the visible spectrum.
- The term white light is used when all colours of the visible spectrum are mixed together.
- The coloured arrows represent six bands of wavelengths of visible light corresponding with red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet.
- The list on the left shows the range of wavelengths corresponding with each band of colour.
- The red arrow, for example, corresponds with wavelengths between 700 nanometres and 620 nanometres.
- Red is the colour an observer sees if any wavelength in that range strikes a neutral-coloured surface.
- The scale along the bottom is marked in nanometres and shows the visible spectrum divided into coloured bands.
Remember that:
- Objects appear to be different colours to an observer depending on their wavelength.
- The name given to light that contains all wavelengths of the visible spectrum is white light.
- When all wavelengths contained in white light reflect off a neutral-coloured surface then the object appears white to an observer.
- When a narrow band of wavelengths reflect off a neutral-coloured surface then the object appears coloured to an observer.
- The colour an observer sees depends on the wavelengths of visible light emitted by a light source and on which of those wavelengths are reflected off an object.
- Although a human observer can distinguish between many thousands of wavelengths of light in the visible spectrum our brains often produce the impression of bands of colour.
Some key terms
The perception of colour by an observer results from properties of light that are visible to the human eye. The visual experience of colour is associated with terms like red, blue and yellow.
- The observation of colour depends on:
- The range and intensity of wavelengths of visible light emitted by a light source, and the various media and materials it encounters on its journey to the retina of a human eye
- Optical phenomena such as absorption, dispersion, diffraction, polarization, reflection, refraction, scattering and transmission.
- Predispositions of an observer, such as their personal and social experience, health and state of mind.
Visible light is the range of wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation perceived as colour by human observers.
- Visible light is a form of electromagnetic radiation.
- Other forms of electromagnetic radiation include radio waves, microwaves, infrared, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays.
- Visible light is perceived by a human observer as all the spectral colours between red and violet plus all other colours that result from combining wavelengths together in different proportions.
- A spectral colour is produced by a single wavelength of light.
- The complete range of colours that can be perceived by a human observer is called the visible spectrum.
- The range of wavelengths that produce visible light is a very small part of the electromagnetic spectrum.
A nanometre is a unit of measurement of the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation.
- Nanometres are particularly useful when specifying the wavelength of electromagnetic waves in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum.
- The visible spectrum ranges from around 400 to 700 nm.
The electromagnetic spectrum includes electromagnetic waves with all possible wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation, ranging from low energy radio waves through visible light to high energy gamma rays.
- There are no precisely defined boundaries between the bands of electromagnetic radiation in the electromagnetic spectrum.
- The electromagnetic spectrum includes, in order of increasing frequency and decreasing wavelength: radio waves, microwaves, infrared radiation, visible light, ultraviolet radiation, X-rays and gamma rays.
- Visible light is only a very small part of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Wavelength is a measurement from any point on the path of a wave to the same point on its next oscillation. The measurement is made parallel to the centre-line of the wave.
- The wavelength of an electromagnetic wave is measured in metres.
- Each type of electromagnetic radiation, such as radio waves, visible light and gamma waves, forms a band of wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum.
- The visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum is composed of the range of wavelengths that correspond with all the different colours we see in the world.
- Human beings don’t see wavelengths of visible light, but they do see the spectral colours that correspond with each wavelength and the other colours produced when different wavelengths are combined.
- The wavelength of visible light is measured in nanometres. There are 1,000,000,000 nanometres to a metre.
Diagrams are free to download
Downloads: Slides or Illustrations
DOWNLOAD DIAGRAMS
- SLIDES are optimized for viewing on-screen.
- ILLUSTRATIONS are optimized for printing on A4 pages in portrait format.
SLIDES
- Slides are available in JPG and AI (Adobe Illustrator) file formats.
- Titles: Slides have titles.
- Backgrounds: Black.
- Size: 1686 x 1124 pixels (3:2 aspect ratio).
ILLUSTRATIONS
- Illustrations are available in JPG and AI two file formats.
- Titles: No titles.
- Backgrounds: White.
- Size: 1686 x 1124 (3:2 aspect ratio). So all illustrations reproduce at the same scale when inserted into Word documents etc.
- Labels: Calibri 24pt Italic.
File formats: JPG & AI
DOWNLOAD THE DIAGRAM ON THIS PAGE AS A JPG FILE
- JPG (JPEG) diagrams are 1686 x 1124 pixels (3:2 aspect ratio).
- If a JPG diagram doesn’t fit your needs, you can download it as an AI (Adobe Illustrator) file and edit it yourself.
- JPG files can be placed or pasted directly into MS Office documents.
DOWNLOAD THE DIAGRAM ON THIS PAGE AS AN AI file
- All AI (Adobe Illustrator) diagrams are 1686 x 1124 pixels (3:2 aspect ratio).
- All our diagrams are created in Adobe Illustrator as vector drawings.
- Save as or export AI files to other formats including PDF (.pdf), PNG (.png), JPG (.jpeg) and SVG(.svg) etc.
Spelling: UK & US
We use English (UK) spelling by default here at lightcolourvision.org.
COPY & PASTING TEXT
- After copy/pasting text please do a spell-check to change our spelling to match your own document.
DOWNLOAD DIAGRAMS
- Download AI versions of diagrams to change the spelling or language used for titles, labels etc.
- We are adding American English (US) versions of diagrams on request. Just contact us and let us know what you need.
- When downloading JPG versions of diagrams, look out for JPG (UK) or JPG (US) in the download dialogue box.
Download agreement
DOWNLOAD AGREEMENT
Light, Colour, Vision & How To See More (https://lightcolourvision.org) : Copyright © 2015-2022 : MediaStudies Trust.
Unless stated otherwise the author of all images and written content on lightcolourvision.org is Ric Mann.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
No part of this website may be copied, displayed, extracted, reproduced, utilised, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical or otherwise including but not limited to photocopying, recording, or scanning without the prior written permission of MediaStudies Trust.
EXCEPTIONS
Exceptions to the above statement are made for personal, educational and non-profit purposes:
Before downloading, cutting and pasting or reproducing any information, images or other assets found on lightcolourvision.org we ask you to agree to the following terms:
- All information, images and other assets displayed and made available for download on the lightcolourvision.org website are copyright. This means there are limitations on how they can be used.
- All information, images and other assets displayed or made available for download are solely and exclusively to be used for personal, educational and non-profit purposes.
- When you find the resources you need, then part of the download process involves you (the user) ticking a box to let us (at lightcolourvision.org) know we both agree on how the material can be used.
- Please contact [email protected] before considering any use not covered by the terms of the agreement above.
The copyright to all information, images and all other assets (unless otherwise stated) belongs to:
The Trustees. MediaStudies Trust
111 Lynbrooke Avenue
Blockhouse Bay
Auckland 0600
New Zealand
[email protected]
We love feedback
Your name and email address will be used solely to provide you with information you have specifically requested. See our privacy policy at https://lightcolourvision.org/privacy/.
We welcome your feedback 🙂
