Introduction of white light
The complete blend of all the wavelengths of the visible spectrum is known as white light. This indicates that if a person has a beam of light that includes all the colors of the rainbow, and focuses all of them onto a single spot, the combination of all colors will result in a beam of white light.White light or visible light comes above infrared rays. At its zenith power, the Sun emits visible light. However, the entire emission power spectrum passes all wavelengths which shows that the Sun emits slightly more infrared than visible light.
What is White Light?
A beam of white light is a mixture of all colors of light. When white light is used to illuminate a colour screen, the mix will have all colors of the visible spectrum. To enhance the quality of the image there is an effect called "contrast". White light (the mixture of all colors) will have a contrast value of 0. By adding blue light the contrast is increased to 1. With red, green and yellow, the white light has a contrast of 3. By adding cyan and infrared light, the contrast is increased to 4. Adding ultraviolet, gives the white light a contrast of 5.
The more lights used, the higher the contrast. Many factors influence the contrast in an image. The same screen can produce images with a higher contrast when the light source is blue, while another screen produces better contrast with white light. The brain perceives color and light sources. It's the light that is "seen" but not the actual stimuli in which it's presented. Adults have the complete spectrum of light available to them, so if they need to change something that they don't know if they would be able to do it. The simple fix is to introduce white light instead of blue light.
Neon lights are the only coloured lights that our eyes are not able to properly distinguish from white light. Neon lights are usually compact and can be of a small part of the tube. They are not used in normal neon lights but in signs as we will see later. Overhead fluorescent tubes can make everything as white as possible by twisting the bulb, and twisting it will give you a "rainbow". This is similar to "Neon lights".A twisted bulb can still be labeled as "Neon" not "Fluorescent". The purpose of this is to have a light that resembles natural sunlight more than any artificial light. People who have not visited "Neon Alley" would believe that neon lights are just as bright as fluorescent lights, but "Neon" light is brighter than any type of lighting.
Electromagnetic Spectrum
Electromagnetic spectrum comprises different types of electromagnetic waves, each with different wavelengths or frequencies. For example, gamma rays, infrared radiation, x-rays, and ultraviolet radiations are examples of electromagnetic waves. The human eye can only see a small portion of the spectrum of wavelengths. The visible spectrum is also known as the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. This shows the full spectrum of electromagnetic radiation and highlights the small part of the spectrum that is the visible spectrum.
Light Spectrum Definition
The variety of wavelengths of energy produced by a light source is known as the light spectrum. The unit of measurement of light is nanometers (nm). Each wavelength of the light or band of light energy is represented by a nanometer and has a spectrum of visible light within the range of 380 mm to 780 mm.Here the light spectrum can mean the visible spectrum. Visible spectrum implies the light spectrum, the range of wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation that our eyes are sensitive to, or the mean plot (or chart or graph) of the intensity of light against its wavelength (sometimes, its frequency).
Light refers to what we see or to a piece of the electromagnetic spectrum that operates on the optical telescope (especially on the ground) and sometimes, irregularly, which means the entire electromagnetic spectrum or any electromagnetic radiation.Therefore, we can say that spectrum is the splitting of white light into its constituent colors when passed via a prism. However, it can also be done on the light having more than one constituent color where the frequency need not be just white light.
How is White Light Produced?
White light can be generated by a variety of white light sources, both in space and artificial sources on earth. For example the stars and the Sun are the sources of white light. The obvious source of white light in the solar system is the Sun. The white LED's and fluorescent light bulb producing white light is an artificial source of light. However, unlike the incandescent lamp, other light bulbs do not produce white light. It produces light of a much longer wavelength within the red to yellow range.
The Wavelength of White Light
Depending on the wavelength, one can see the visible light color. Above 700 mm and below 400 mm, light is not visible. White light is made up of seven colors viz: violet, green, indigo, orange, blue, yellow, and red. Here, the wavelength of red is 400 mm, and that of violet is 700 mm. Hence, white cannot be assigned to a single wavelength as it is composed of wavelengths of different colors.The white light has a wavelength between the ranges of 400 – 700 mm.
Characteristics of White Light
The so-called white light is all around us. Most of the light coming from the sky or our home and office light allows us to see things. It can also be said that life on the planet provides both heat and energy.
When white light is transmitted from the prism or diffraction grating, the colors of the visible spectrum appear.
Colors vary according to their wavelengths
Violet has the highest frequency and the shortest wavelengths, and red has the lowest frequency and the longest wavelengths.
Difference Between White Light and Sunlight
White Light
A blend or mixture of colors is known as white light, which gives the eye sensation of white. As we know, if the green, red, and blue light is mixed in the proper portion, we get the white light. Many combinations of light give white light.
Every white light does not have a continuous spectrum. When we energize the hydrogen gas, it emits white light while its spectrum is distinct.
Sunlight
Sunlight is the combination of all wavelengths of the visible region spectrum of the Sun. Simply put, it is the radiation of the Sun in the visible region. Also, sunlight gives our eyes the sensation of white; hence sunlight is known as the white light.
We also know that the sunlight spectrum is continuous. So sunlight is a subcategory of white light.
Applications of White Light
Many objects, including the Sun in space, are natural sources of white light. On earth, white LEDs and the white fluorescent bulbs are an artificial source of light. White light can be separated back to different colors with the help of a device like a prism.
Conclusion
White light or visible light is the part of the electromagnetic spectrum that can be identified by the human eye. White light or its near-infrared light is typically absorbed and emitted by the electrons in atoms and molecules that shift from one energy level to another. The chemical mechanism that triggers human vision and plant photosynthesis are based on this phenomenon.
FAQs on White Light
1. Why are the wavelengths of visible light different from ultraviolet, infrared and microwaves?
The wavelength of visible light is in the range of 380 nm to 700 nm whereas the wavelengths of ultraviolet, infrared and microwaves are between 300 nm and 1000 nm. The wavelength of visible light is known as 'optical' or 'visible spectrum'. Wavelength is noted with a capital 'O' and lowercase 'v'. Infrared and microwaves are known as 'thermal' or ‘thermal spectrum' which is noted with a lowercase 't'.Microwaves are known as 'microwave' or 'microwave spectrum' which is used in microwave ovens.
2. If I see something that is light red or yellow and then I look at it from different angles what color will it appear as?
The color of a surface depends on the amount of light it reflects, not the wavelength of the light it is reflecting. In a spectrum of wavelengths, we are more interested in the peaks than the troughs. The point at which they meet is the wavelength of maximum absorption or reflection. For example, if you have a light-coloured object that reflects red light, then it will also reflect yellow and green light because it reflects all wavelengths. On the other hand, a light-coloured object that reflects only blue light will reflect green and yellow light, but not red light.
3. What is the human eye and how is it different from other senses?
The human eye is an organ that changes the quantity of light or energy entering the eye to create the image. Hearing and touch are also forms of sensing light, but the eye is the most sophisticated. The human eye is a complex organ that processes light through three stages: the cornea, the lens and the retina.
4. What is a spectrum and how does the spectrum of light emitted by a bulb compare to natural sunlight?
A spectrum is a visual display of all the possible colors (wavelengths) of light. There are certain wavelengths that give off or allow a camera or film to "see" and therefore be recorded, while others do not allow this to happen. This is why many objects in the world seem to reflect, transmit and absorb certain wavelengths of light. In a spectrum, the amount of visible light depends on wavelength - the longer the wavelength, the less visible light there is per unit of time. The visible light spectrum is the combination of all wavelengths of light. The term spectrum is also applied to other electromagnetic waves, such as radio waves and microwaves.
5. Why do we see a White Light?
Whenever color is seen, it is just a small portion of wavelength. By the mixture of wavelengths, we see the formation of white color (i.e., the color of the rainbow). For example, when a person sees blue color, the eye absorbs the entire wavelength except that of blue. When we see black, our eyes don't see anything as it reflects back. For white, a person's eye absorbs all the mixture of colors. It is the result of the mixture of all the wavelengths. Thus, due to the wave nature of our eyes, the color appears white.
