Wavelength of Light

Light is a specific type of electromagnetic energy. It is the light that is identifiable and visible to the naked eye, and it is responsible for the feeling of light. Visible light has wavelengths between 400 and 700 nanometers, while infrared has longer wavelengths and ultraviolet has shorter wavelengths.

The visible light wavelength implies a frequency of 430-750 terahertz (THz). According to the experiment, light in vacuum travels at 299,792,458 m/s. Visible light, like other electromagnetic radiation, flows at this speed in vacuum. In physics, light is frequently defined as electromagnetic radiation of any wavelength, visible or not. Radio waves, gamma rays, microwaves, and X-rays are all kinds of light.

Wavelength

A particle and wave are two ways to think about the way light is seen. Photons are light particles that carry electromagnetic energy in “packets.” Conversely, electromagnetic radiation propagates as waves of energy.

Light travels in a curved path. It travels as a transverse wave. Transverse waves are oscillations that occur perpendicular to the direction of energy transmission. A transverse wave’s wavelength is the distance between two successive crests or troughs. Any moving energy, such as light or sound, has a repeating pattern. In most cases, wavelength is stated in nanometres or micrometres. It is symbolised by the symbol lambda.

The frequency and Wavelength Relationship

Frequency and wavelength are inextricably linked, particularly in the context of light. The wavelength is defined as the distance between two successive troughs or crests, whereas the frequency is defined as the number of waves passing through a single place over a certain time period. The relationship between wavelength and frequency is inverse, which indicates that the longer the wavelength, the lower the frequency. When the wavelength is short, the frequency tends to be greater because more troughs and crests travel through the short wavelength. On the other hand, when the wavelength has a longer route, the frequency tends to be lower.

White Light: The wavelength of white light is between 400 and 750 nm. When white light is transmitted through a prism, the light spectrum is generated as a result of the refraction of different wavelengths at various angles.

Ultraviolet Light: Ultraviolet light is a wavelength of light that exists between the visible and X-ray regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. It is named for the fact that it is the light that is closest to the violet component of visible light and ranges in wavelength from 10 to 400 nm.

Infrared Radiation: Infrared radiation has a longer wavelength than visible light and is located in the visual spectrum’s red region. It has a wavelength range of 750 nm to 1 mm. Although infrared radiation cannot be seen, it may be felt as heat.

Red and orange light: Red and orange lights with wavelengths ranging from 750 to 610 nm and 610 to 590 nm, respectively, are best observed naturally around dawn and sunset. This is because the related red and orange wavelengths of sunlight are not sufficiently dispersed by the atmosphere at these times.

Yellow light: Yellow light has a wavelength of between 590 and 570 nanometers. Low-pressure sodium lights emit a yellow light.

Green Light: The green colour, whose wavelength is between 570 and 500 nm, is most noticeable in grass and leaves. Grass reflects green light and absorbs all other wavelengths, giving it the appearance of being green.

Blue Light: Blue light has a wavelength of between 500 and 450 nanometers. The atmosphere readily scatters shorter wavelengths, and so efficiently scatters the wavelength corresponding to the colour blue. That is why, when we gaze up at the sky, it seems blue.

Indigo Light Violet Light: Indigo is a colour on the colour wheel that is between the main colours blue and violet. Its wavelength is between 450 and 425 nm. Violet light, with a wavelength of 425–400 nm, is the shortest wavelength visible light. Due of its shorter wavelength, it is more efficiently dispersed by the atmosphere. However, because to our eyes’ sensitivity to blue, the sky looks blue rather than indigo or violet.

Visible Light

Light is composed of numerous wavelengths, and each wavelength corresponds to a different colour. The colour we perceive is the result of a wavelength being reflected from the object in front of us. The visible spectrum is the range of light that the naked eye can perceive and distinguish. This range begins at 700 nm and ends at 400 nm.

Formula For The Wavelength Of Laser Light

Lambda = (a × x) / d, where ‘lambda’ is the wavelength in metres, ‘a’ is the distance between the diffraction grating’s slits, ‘x’ is the fringe spacing, and ‘d’ is the screen-to-grating distance.

Conclusion

The wavelength of light dictates its properties. For instance, short wavelengths are associated with high-energy gamma-rays and x-rays, whereas long wavelengths are associated with low-energy radio waves. The electromagnetic spectrum includes all wavelengths.