What is the wavelength range of the visible spectrum of light?

Visible light is the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that can be detected by the human eye. The wavelength range of visible light is approximately 3900–7600 Å (angstroms), which corresponds to 390–760 nanometers (nm). This range includes all the colors that humans can perceive, from violet at the shortest wavelengths to red at the longest.

Each color in the visible spectrum corresponds to a specific wavelength. For example, violet light has wavelengths around 3900–4500 Å, blue light around 4500–4950 Å, green light around 4950–5700 Å, yellow around 5700–5900 Å, orange around 5900–6200 Å, and red around 6200–7600 Å. Together, these wavelengths create the full range of visible colors.

The human eye cannot detect wavelengths shorter than violet (below 3900 Å), which fall into the ultraviolet (UV) region, or longer than red (above 7600 Å), which fall into the infrared (IR) region. These non-visible regions are used in other scientific and technological applications, but they are outside human vision.

Understanding the wavelength range of visible light is essential in physics and everyday science because it explains phenomena like rainbows, prisms, and color perception. Light waves in this range can refract, reflect, and interfere, producing colors and patterns that are observable in daily life.

The visible spectrum is just a small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, which includes radio waves, microwaves, infrared, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays. Knowledge of this spectrum helps in fields like optics, astronomy, photography, and communication technologies that rely on light.

In summary, the visible spectrum consists of light with wavelengths from 3900 Å to 7600 Å, encompassing all colors detectable by the human eye. This range forms the foundation for understanding light, color, and optical phenomena in physics.