Visible Light

Visible light waves refer to a form of electromagnetic radio waves like the infrared radiation, microwaves, X-rays, and ultraviolet radiation. Furthermore, one can see these waves as the rainbow colours where each colour consists of a different wavelength. Moreover, the colour red has the longest wavelength while the colour violet has the shortest one.

Introduction to Visible Light

The formation of the white light takes place when all the waves are seen together. Furthermore, when white light comes through the prism, it breaks down into the visible light spectrum colours.

The transmitting of EM radiation in waves or particles takes place at different frequencies and wavelengths. Moreover, experts call this wide variety of wavelengths as the electromagnetic spectrum. Also, its division happens into seven areas by way of decreasing order of wavelength and increasing order of frequency and energy.

Visible Light Spectrum

The visible light spectrum refers to the segment of the electromagnetic spectrum that can be viewed by the human eye. Moreover, experts call this range of wavelengths as the visible light. Typically, the detection of the wavelengths by the human eye is from 380 to 700 nanometers.

The visible light spectrum is that portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that a human eye can view. The visible light range has a frequency of about 4 x 10¹⁴ to 8 x 10¹⁴ cycles per second and it comes under the range of EM spectrum between infrared and ultraviolet. Also, it has wavelengths of about 740 nanometers or 2.9 x10^-5 inches to 380 nm.

Wavelengths of Visible Light

All electromagnetic radiation is light but the human eye is able to see only a small portion of this radiation. Most importantly, this is the portion that is called the visible light. Other portions of the spectrum have wavelengths that happen to be either too large or too small or too energetic to be able to be perceived by us.

As the full spectrum of visible light travels through a prism, the separation of the wavelengths takes place into the rainbow colours due to each colour being of a different wavelength.

Important Source for Visible Light

The Sun is the dominant source for visible-light waves that the human eye can receive. Furthermore, corona refers to the outer-most layer of the Sun’s atmosphere and one can see it in visible light. However, it is very faint and one can see it only during a total solar eclipse due to the overwhelming bright photosphere.

The moon almost completely blocks the photosphere and chromosphere during a total eclipse of the Sun. Furthermore, the formation of the tapered patterns—coronal streamers—around the Sun takes place by the outward flow of plasma. Also, the shaping of the plasma is by magnetic field lines that extend millions of miles into space.

FAQs For Visible Light

Question 1: What are visible light uses?

Answer 1: One of the most important visible light uses is eye vision. Without visible light, one would not have been able to see anything. Besides vision, visible light has other important uses.

The concentration of visible light takes place to make lasers that have a usage in many things like CD players, surgery, laser pointers etc. Moreover, visible light waves make various electronic gadgets work, for example, television, cell phones, and computers.  Also, visible light communication, which is a useful data communications variant, is another benefit.

Question 2: What are spectra and spectral signatures?

Answer 2: Experts have been able to find out a pattern of dark lines—called absorption lines after a close examination of the visible-light spectrum from our Sun and other stars. Hidden properties of objects throughout the universe have been revealed by the important scientific clues. Most noteworthy, these important scientific clues have been provided by the absorption lines.

There is an absorption of certain colours of light by certain elements in the Sun’s atmosphere. Moreover, these patterns of lines which are within spectra have characteristic of being like fingerprints for atoms and molecules. The fingerprints for elements are clear to those who have knowledge about those patterns when looking at the spectrum of the Sun.