Visible light waves are the only electromagnetic waves we can see. We see these waves as the colors of the rainbow. Each color has a different wavelength. Red has the longest wavelength and violet has the shortest wavelength. When all...

A tutorial on the electromagnetic and visible spectra. Discusses dispersion and how perceptions of white and black are related to the visible light spectrum.

Students are introduced to the electromagnetic spectrum through this group research activity. Each group investigates a different wavelength range within the em spectrum and reports back to class. Discussion ideas also included.

Read about the visible light spectrum and learn the frequencies and wavelengths for each of the primary and secondary colors.

Students investigate the properties of visible light and the sequence of colors in the spectrum using light shone through water and prisms. The instructional activity and accompanying slideshow can both be downloaded.

This site from Georgia State University discusses the location of visible light on the electromagnetic spectrum. Includes the wavelength values for various colors of light within the visible light spectrum.

This video segment adapted from FRONTLINE introduces the electromagnetic spectrum and explains how the various types of electromagnetic waves are distinguished by the amount of energy each wave carries.

Infrared light lies between the visible and microwave portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Infrared light has a range of wavelengths, just like visible light has wavelengths that range from red light to violet.

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Students learn what an electromagnetic wave is, gain a feel for the main parts of the spectrum, and work on problems involving basic properties of electromagnetic...

A brief explanation of the visible color wheel.

Students will focus on the interaction of sunlight with atmospheric particles to produce blue skies and red sunsets.

Students use simple materials to design an open spectrograph so they can calculate the angle light is bent when it passes through a holographic diffraction grating. A holographic diffraction grating acts like a prism, showing the visual...

Students find and calculate the angle that light is transmitted through a holographic diffraction grating using trigonometry. After finding this angle, student teams design and build their own spectrographs, researching and designing a...

This high school resource shows how the blue of the skies and the red of the sunsets can be explained by the interaction of sunlight with atmospheric particles which causes scattering of light.

Lucianne Walkowicz shows us the waves just beyond our perception: microwaves, radio waves, x-rays and more. [5:58]

Students create and decorate their own spectrographs using simple materials and holographic diffraction gratings. A holographic diffraction grating acts like a prism, showing the visual components of light. After building the...

A gallery of astronomy images which depict galaxies, comets, the moon, planets, nebulae, supernovae as seen in various regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Each image in the gallery is described. Fascinating!

In this science fair project, use an infrared thermometer to measure the temperature of differently colored paper exposed to sunlight, and calculate energy emission using the Stefan-Boltzmann equation. Find discussion questions, a list...

Students use the spectrograph from the "Building a Fancy Spectrograph" activity to gather data about light sources. Using their data, they make comparisons between different light sources and make conjectures about the composition of a...