Science Common Sense

102 - Why do we see different colors in light?

Light is made up of different colors, but we can't see them all at the same time. This is because light travels at different wavelengths (like different sized waves). When light passes through a prism, like a glass or a diamond, it breaks down into its different colors. This is why we see a rainbow of colors.

Here's a simple explanation of what happens:

• Red light has the longest wavelengths and is at the top of the rainbow.
• Violet light has the shortest wavelengths and is at the bottom of the rainbow.
• The colors in between, like orange, yellow, green, and blue, have wavelengths that are in between long and short.

So, when we see light as different colors, it's because the light is being separated into its different wavelengths, and our eyes are seeing those different wavelengths as different colors.