Dispersion of Light and Colours

Contents / notes

• Dispersion of white light by a triangular prism.
• Production of a pure spectrum.
• Colour mixing by addition and subtraction.
• Colour of objects and colour filters.
• Rainbow and its formation.
• Electromagnetic spectrum: description of sources and uses of various types of radiation.

Candidate objectives

• Identify primary colours and obtain secondary colours by mixing.
• Understand the formation of a rainbow.
• Explain why objects have colours.
• Analyse colours using colour filters.
• Analyse the electromagnetic spectrum in relation to wavelengths, sources, detection and uses.
• Define monochromatic light.