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Colours

At the start of the 1660s, Isaac Newton pioneered experiments into light and colour.

Colours

Colours

  • We see colour because of light receptors in our eye.
  • Colour is just different frequencies of light.
  • We can remember the spectrum of colours by the mnemonic Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet).
Colours

Colours

  • Red has the lowest frequency and the colours are in order of frequency - with violet having the highest frequency.
  • Colour are part of the visible light spectrum. These are transverse waves.
Dispersion

Dispersion

  • Light looks white because it is a mixture of all the colours.
  • We can separate white light into the colours using a prism.
  • White light refracting into colours is called dispersion.
  • Isaac Newton discovered this in 1666.
    • It was around this time that he stuck a needle in his eye to continue his investigations into colour and light.
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