Some Facts About Visible Light

The light which we can see, visible light, travels almost 186,282 miles per second through space. You can identify visible light because of the cone-shaped cells in your eyes that can sense light wavelengths. Humans cannot see other light types because their wavelength is either too small or too large to be detected by our eyes.

The Hidden Nature of White Light

White light is not a single colored light. It is a combination of a complete Wem of visible light. The information behind white light was only discovered in the 1660s by Sir Isaac Newton.

He used a prism to understand this. When white light is passed through a prism, all the colors in it are separated. The same is visible when white light passes through water droplets, and you can see a rainbow.

The Light Spectrum

White light, including all its combined colors, represent a small part of the electromagnetic spectrum. It is the only form of light we can see because of its wavelength. Our eyes can only detect wavelengths between 380 and 700 nanometers. Violet light has the shortest wavelength, and red light has the largest.

On the other hand, infrared light has a bigger wavelength than red hence it outside our vision. Ultraviolet light, X-rays, and gamma rays have a wavelength smaller than violet light; thus, we cannot see it.

The Dual Nature of Light

Several experiments in the 20th century with lights have shown that light had two natures. On the one hand, light has behaved as a wave. For example, when you throw bright light through a very narrow space, it expands as a wave does. On the other hand, if you throw violet light on metal, the metal ejects electrons, suggesting that light is made of particles called photons.

To know more about visible light, our experts at Iluminar will solve your queries. Call us now at 281-438-3500 .