Rainbows- A Physics Example

The colors of the human visible light spectrum are those that comprise a rainbow, often abbreviated as ROY G. BIV (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet). Rainbows are created when light is reflected off of water and dust particles in the air.

Visible Light Spectrum

As we saw, visible light is only a fragment of the total electromagnetic spectrum. This is where we tie in our knowledge of wavelengths and frequencies: the human eye can only perceive light between 380 nm and 760 nm (400-790 terahertz). These, therefore, are the boundaries for the wavelengths and frequencies of light in the "visible light spectrum."

Frequency Implications

Frequencies are unique measurements of a wave. Waves with different frequencies either sound different (different pitches) or look different (i.e. different colors). For this reason it is very important for us to understand this quality of waves, as it can help us use them in more practical ways.

Sight and Sound Intro.

Both light and sound travel through waves; however, the two types of waves through which they travel are extremely different. The differences between these waves are what allow for sight and sound.