Light and Its Properties

Shown are colour diagrams illustrating the difference in wavelengths between violet and red light.

The top diagram is a violet line that curves up and down, over and over, across the image. The curves are quite sharp. The peaks of the curves are labelled "Crests." The valleys are labelled "Trough." The length between two troughs is marked with a square bracket labelled "Wavelength."

The bottom diagram is a red, curving line. The curves here are wider and gentler than the violet line. Again, the crests and troughs are labelled. The length between two troughs is marked with a much wider bracket, labelled "Wavelength." This shows that the wavelength of red light is at least twice as long as violet light.

Shown is a colour diagram illustrating how primary colours of pigment are mixed to create secondary colours.

Three different coloured circles are arranged in a triangle shape on a white background. They overlap in the centre of the illustration. Each circle is labelled, as is each overlapping section.

Starting on the top left, the first circle is cyan. The top right is yellow. The bottom is magenta. 

The area where cyan and yellow overlap is green. The area where yellow and magenta overlap is red. The area where magenta and cyan overlap is blue. The centre, where all three circles overlap, is black.

Shown is a colour diagram illustrating how primary colours of light mix to create secondary colours.

Three different coloured circles are arranged in a triangle shape on a black background. They overlap in the centre of the illustration. Each circle is labelled, as is each overlapping section.

Starting on the top left, the first circle is blue. The top right is green. The bottom is red.

The area where blue and green overlap is cyan. The area where green and red overlap is yellow. The area where red and blue overlap is magenta. The centre, where all three circles overlap, is white.

Shown is a colour photograph of a rainbow in the sky over a lake.

The rainbow is a bright stripe of light across dark grey sky. It contains narrow parallel stripes of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. The bottom of the rainbow is at the top of the lake in the lower middle part of the image. It stretches up over the trees to the top right corner. Another faint rainbow can be seen some distance to the right of the first. 

The colours of the rainbow are reflected in the smooth, greyish blue water in the foreground. The lake is surrounded by green grass, shrubs and trees that fade into mist behind the rainbow.

Shown is a colour animated GIF of light splitting into separate colours by travelling through a prism.

The prism is a large dark grey triangle on a black background, outlined in white. The light starts as a thick white stripe. It comes in from the lower left and hits the edge of the prism at an angle. 

Inside the prism, the light is shown as seven overlapping, wavy, coloured lines constantly moving from left to right. The lines are dense tangle on the left inside the prism. They are further apart, but still touching at the right edge. 

Outside the prism, on the right, the lines become separate. Starting from the top, they are: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. The red line has the longest waves. The waves in each coloured line get shorter and shorter. The violet line has the shortest waves.

Shown is a colour illustration of the same view through windows made of transparent, translucent and opaque glass.

Starting on the left, the first window is labelled "Transparent." The view through this is clear. Green, leafy trees can be seen in the lower part of the window, and the sky above is bright blue. 

The second window is labelled "Translucent." The view through this looks foggy or misty. The trees and sky are faded colours.

The third window is labelled "Opaque." The view through this is completely black. No trees, sky, or any colours can be seen. 

Each window has the same wooden frame with six panes of glass. All three are labelled underneath in black letters.