ROYGBV are the initials for the sequence of colours that make up the visible spectrum: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet.
- The visible spectrum refers to the range of colours visible to the human eye.
- White light, when passed through a prism, separates into a sequence of individual colours corresponding with ROYGBV which is the range of colours visible to the human eye.
- White light separates into ROYGBV because different wavelengths of light bend at slightly different angles as they enter and exit the prism.
- ROYGBV helps us remember the order of these spectral colours starting from the longest wavelength (red) to the shortest (violet).
- ROYGBV are commonly associated with the colours of a rainbow.
- A rainbow spans the continuous range of spectral colours that make up the visible spectrum.
- The visible spectrum is the small band of wavelengths within the electromagnetic spectrum that corresponds with all the different colours we see in the world.
- The fact that we see the distinct bands of colour in a rainbow is an artefact of human colour vision.
- Some observers see a distinct cyan or indigo arc in rainbows producing the initials ROYGCBV or ROYGBIV.
- The perception of distinct bands of colour in a rainbow is attributed to the physics of light and the human eye’s sensitivity to different wavelengths of light.
Related diagrams
Each diagram below can be viewed on its own page with a full explanation.
