Electromagnetic Spectrum
and Visible Light
In this unit:
1) Electromagnetic Spectrum
2) Properties of Light
3) Visible Light
4) Color Addition
5) Color Subtraction
6) Shadows
Part 1- The Electromagnetic
Spectrum
The electromagnetic spectrum contains 7
different types of EM wave.
The portion of the spectrum that our eyes
sense is called visible light.
EM Waves
All waves in this spectrum are transverse
waves.
They are the result of fluctuating electric
and magnetic fields.
Radio Waves
Wavelength: 1mm-100km
Frequency: <3x1011 Hz
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Microwaves
Wavelength Range: 1mm - 25um
Frequency Range: 3x1011 – 3x1013 Hz
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Infrared Waves
Frequency Range: 1x1013 - 4x1014 Hz
Wavelength Range: 25um - 750nm
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Visible Light Waves
Frequency Range: 4x1014 - 7.5x1014 Hz
Wavelength Range: 750nm - 400 nm
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Ultraviolet Waves
Frequency Range: 1015 - 1017 Hz
Wavelength Range: 400nm - 1nm
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X-Ray Waves
Frequency Range: 1017 - 1020 Hz
Wavelength Range: 1nm-0.1nm
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Gamma Waves
Frequency Range: 1020 - 1024 Hz
Wavelength Range: <0.1nm
Shortest wavelength and highest frequency.
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Part 2 – Properties of Light
Light travels in straight lines:
Laser
Light travels VERY FAST – around
300,000 kilometres per second.
At this speed it can
go around the world 8
times in one second.
Light travels much faster than sound. For example:
1) Thunder and lightning
start at the same time,
but we will see the
lightning first.
2) When a starting pistol
is fired we see the
smoke first and then
hear the bang.
We see things because they
reflect light into our eyes:
Homework
Luminous and non-luminous objects
A luminous object is one that produces light.
A non-luminous object is one that reflects light.
Luminous objects Reflectors
Shadows
Shadows are places where light is “blocked”:
Rays of light
Properties of Light summary
1) Light travels in straight lines
2) Light travels much faster than sound
3) We see things because they reflect light
into our eyes
4) Shadows are formed when light is blocked
by an object
Part 3- Visible Light
Visible light is the part of the EM spectrum
that we as humans can detect with our
eyes. It is not a single color; it is made up
of a mixture of the seven colors of the
rainbow.
We can demonstrate this by
splitting white light with a
prism:
This is how rainbows are
formed: sunlight is “split up”
by raindrops.
The colors of visible light:
Red
Orange
Yellow
Green
Blue
Indigo
Violet
Since the color a visible light wave appears
is a product of the wavelength and
frequency, color is a property of the wave.
Seeing Colors
Color is detected by cone cells in the retina
of the eye.
There are only 3 kinds of cone cells: red,
green, and blue.
Human’s see all the colors of the rainbow by
adding together different amount of red,
blue, and green.
Part 4 - Color Addition
White light can be split up to make separate colours.
These colours can be added together again.
The primary colours of light are red, blue and green:
Adding blue and red Adding blue and
makes magenta green makes cyan
(purple) (light blue)
Adding red Adding all
and green three makes
makes yellow white again
Color Addition
Primary colors of light: red, blue
and green
Add together to make all the
colors of the visible spectrum.
The colors they create when
added together in full
strength are called secondary
colors of light: cyan, magenta,
and yellow.
When all three primary colors of
light are added together they
create white light.
Part 5 - Color Subtraction
White light from the sun or from a light bulb illuminates
objects. White light contains ALL the colors of light.
Filters can be used to absorb out different colors of light:
Red
Filter
Magenta
Filter
Color Subtraction
Objects that contain pigments
appear colors depending on
what colors of light are
absorbed and what colors are
reflected.
There are three primary
pigments that combine to make
all the other colors of pigment
in the world. Cyan, Magenta,
and Yellow. When they combine
they create the secondary
pigments red, blue and green.
What color does it appear?
The color an object appears depends on the colors of
light it reflects…It acts just like the filters. We
can predict the color an object will appear based
on color subtraction.
For example, a red book only reflects red light:
White Only red light
light is reflected
A pair of magenta trousers would reflect magenta light
(and red and blue, as magenta is made up of red and blue):
Magenta
light
A white hat would reflect all three colors:
White
light
Using colored light
If we look at a coloured object in coloured
light we see something different. For
example, consider a this outfit:
Shirt looks red
White
light
Shorts look blue
In different colors of light this outfit would look different:
Red
Shirt looks red
light
Shorts look black
Shirt looks black
Blue
light
Shorts look blue
Some further examples:
Color object
Object Color of light
seems to be
Red Red
Red socks Blue Black
Green Black
Red Black
Blue teddy Blue
Green
Red
Green camel Blue
Green
Red
Magenta book Blue
Green
Color Subtraction with filters
Color of Color absorbed Colors Reflected Color Seen
filter
Red
Green
Blue
Cyan
Magenta
Yellow
Red and
Green
Cyan and
Magenta
Yellow and
Green
Red Blue Green White
Yellow Cyan Magenta Black
Part 6 - Shadows
Whenever light is blocked a shadow is
created.
If an object is near the light source the
shadow will be larger.
If the object is far from the light source
the shadow will be smaller.
A persons shadow will be the longest when
the sun is farthest away and is at an angle
(dusk and dawn).
A person’s shadow will be the shortest at
noon because the sun is as close as it can
be and is directly over head.
Parts of a Shadow
Umbra- The area
directly behind
the object where
ALL light is
blocked. Appears
dark black.
Penumbra- The area
around the object
where light is only
partially blocked.
Appears gray and
fuzzy.
Colored Shadows
When the primary colors of light are ADDED together white light
appears.
When an object is placed in front of white light from color addition it will
form 7 shadows.
Primary Shadows:
Magenta, Cyan and Yellow
Secondary shadows appear where the primary shadows overlap.
Secondary Shadows:
Red, Blue, Green, Black
Magenta = Green is blocked, so blue and red are reflected.
Cyan = Red is blocked, so blue and green are reflected.
Yellow = Blue is blocked, so red and green are reflected.
Red = Blue and Green are blocked, and red is reflected.
Blue = Red and Green are blocked, and blue is reflected.
Green = Red and Blue are blocked, and green is reflected.
Black = All light is blocked!
