spectrum
Sign in to savethumb|The spectrum in a rainbow
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A spectrum is the range of colors that appear when white light is separated into its component wavelengths, like the colors visible in a rainbow. Understanding spectra matters because it helps scientists identify what substances are made of and how light behaves, which has applications in everything from astronomy to medicine.
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6 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Physical sciences
- Biological science
- Mathematics
- Social science
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thumb|The spectrum in a rainbow
A spectrum (: spectra or spectrums) is a set of related ideas, objects, or properties whose features overlap such that they blend to form a continuum. The word spectrum was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of colors in visible light after passing through a prism. In the optical spectrum, light wavelength is viewed as continuous, and spectral colors are seen to blend into one another smoothly when organized in order of their corresponding wavelengths. As scientific understanding of light advanced, the term came to apply to the entire electromagnetic spectrum, including radiation not visible to the human eye.