6.4.9

Visible Light

Test yourself

Visible Light

Visible light is used to see the world around us.

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Visible light spectrum

  • Traditionally, we say that there are seven colours of light in the spectrum.
  • Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet.
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Uses

  • We use visible light to see the world around us and in fibre optics.
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Explanation

  • We use visible light in optical fibres because it can be totally internally reflected.
  • This means that we can transmit signals (information) along optical fibres without the signals (information) getting lost.

Visible Light

The human eye can see visible light. Visible light is a form of electromagnetic radiation. Light is absorbed, reflected or transmitted when it hits an object. This determines whether an object is opaque, translucent and transparent.

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Opaque

  • Opaque objects either reflect or absorb all light that hits them.
  • No light passes through.
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Translucent

  • Translucent objects transmit light but the rays are scattered.
  • We cannot see objects clearly through translucent objects.
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Transparent

  • Transparent objects also transmit light without scattering the rays.
  • We can clearly see objects on the other side of transparent objects.

Jump to other topics

1Energy

2Electricity

3Particle Model of Matter

4Atoms & Radiation

5Forces

5.1Basics of Motion

5.2Forces

5.3Effects of Forces

5.4Pressure

6Waves

7Magnetism

8Astrophysics

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