Lesson 1/Learning Event 3
Learning Event 3:
LIST THE COLORS OF LIGHT AND THEIR WAVELENGTHS
1. All forms of radiant energy are classified according to their
wavelengths and frequencies. A wavelength is the distance from the crest of
one wave to the crest of the next wave which is measured in nanometers
(nm).*
There are other units of measure such as Angstrom Units, Microns,
etc. for the measurement of a wavelength. Frequency is the number of waves
that pass a given point in each second (fig 1-8).
Figure 1-8.
The wavelength and frequency
2. Electromagnetic Spectrum: The electromagnetic spectrum is composed of
various forms of radiant energy (fig 1-9), such as gamma rays, x-rays, light
rays, radio waves, etc. The visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum
consist of light rays with wavelengths from 40C to 700 nanometers.
The
primary colors used in photography are Blue from 400 to 500, Green from 500
to 600, and Red from 600 to 700.
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