• Question: Why is the colour spectrum in that order

    Asked by callumthepug to Ed on 9 Mar 2015.
    • Photo: Ed Rial

      Ed Rial answered on 9 Mar 2015:

      Hi Callum

      The colours in the spectrum are different because the light waves have different wavelengths. Red light has the longest wavelength, Orange light is shorter, then Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and then Violet light has the shortest wavelength.

      The spectrum is usually ordered from longest wavelengths to shortest wavelengths, which is why the spectrum is in that order:
      Red
      Orange
      Yellow
      Green
      Blue
      Indigo
      Violet.

      The colour spectrum is part of a much larger spectrum that includes Radio waves and X-rays – it’s just our eyes can’t see this kind of light so they don’t get included on the colour spectrum!

      I hope that helped.

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