02/09/09 Spectroscopy

Polychromatic light contains multiple wavelengths. These wavelengths can give a perception that people refer to as color. For example, if a light source has the wavelengths that define red, blue, and green the light will more than likely appear white. The color wheel below shoes how the red, blue, and green wavelengths create a perception of white light. Furthermore, a specific light source can be broken into its individual wavelengths though use of a prism.




One of the most important tools in the physcial sciences is spectrsocopy...