THE ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM
We only see the rainbow of light waves called ______.
In the visible spectrum of light, the color of the light depends on the frequency. The order of colors is red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet (ROY G. BIV).
HOW WE SEE LIGHT AND COLORS
What we are seeing when we see an object is reflected light.
When we see an object of a certain color that means that light of that color's wavelength is being reflected off the object. When you see a red shirt, the shirt is absorbing all the colors of light except for the red color. The frequency of light that we see as red is being reflected and we see that shirt as red.
The color that we see depends on:
(1) the color of light that is shined on the object and
(2) the color of light that is reflected by the object.
White = the object is REFLECTING ALL the colors of light.
Black = the object is ABSORBING ALL the colors of light.
Color filtersallow only certain colors of light to pass/transmit through them; they absorb or reflect all other colors. For example, a blue filter only transmits blue light. Objects seen through a blue filter will look blue if the objects reflect blue; objects of other colors will appear black because the other color wavelengths are being absorbed by the filter.
HOW DOES THE EYE WORK?
○ Light waves that have been emitted or reflected by an object, enter the eye and first pass through the transparent layer called the corneawhere they are refracted.
○ The light passes by the Iris(colored part) and through the pupil which can expand and shrink to control the amount of light that gets into the eye.
○ The light rays are then refracted again as they pass through the transparent lens(convex).
○ Thelens focuses the light waves on the retina, located on the back of the inside of the eye.
○ Theretina is composed of tiny light sensitive nerves that transfer the energy of the light waves to nerve impulsestransmitted through the optic nerveto the brain for interpretation as sight.