If speed of light is constant, why do the colors have different "wavelengths"?

Answer 1

The speed of light is the same as that of all electromagnetic waves.The velocity of the EM wave does not change (in vacuum), and we know that the frequency of the EM wave, f is a function of the velocity v and wavelength, w

v = fw

Since v is constant, a shorter wave length will produce a spectrum of light with greater frequency.

Answer 2

The speed doesn't change, that's for sure. All colors arrive to your eyes at the same time after leaving a light source. What changes is the frequency at which the wave vibrates. Blue wave vibrate faster, therefore the wavelenght is shorter.

Look at this like an EEG. The doctors put electrodes on the brains and record the brain waves on a paper. The paper always gets out of the machine at the same speed. There are waves that are closer together and other that are more spaced out. They both were printed at the same speed, but the one that had the higher frequency made the ink needle vibrate faster.

If you prefer the mathematical explanation, remember the formula v=lf where v is speed, l in wavekenght and f is frequency. Wave can have the same speed and different wavelength as long as the have different frequency too. The higher the frequency, the lower the wavelength.

Answer 3

There are several different ideas to be considered here.
1. "White" light is composed of light of all the colours of the spectra. When combined they give "white".
2. Light travels at a constant speed in a particular medium. The normal quoted figures for 'the speed of light' are for light travelling through a vacuum.
3. Refraction of light is caused by the 'colours' travelling at different speeds through the media.
4. The wavelength is the distance usually measured in nanometres between two consecutive waves. The frequency is the number of these crests passing a point per second.
5. To get a CONSTANT speed then shorter wavelengths must be more frequent.

Answer 4

All Electromagnetic waves (mutually with sunshine) return and forth on the "speed of sunshine" interior a vacuum. They return and forth at a somewhat slower speed in the different dielectric (mutually with air). the relationship between frequency and speed is the dimensions of one cycle of the wave, aka the wavelength. Frequency = speed/wavelength. on the grounds that speed is a relentless (returned assuming the comparable dielectric, as a effect a vacuum), there is the two a one-to-one and inverse correspondence between frequency and wavelength: the longer the wavelength, the better the frequency.

Answer 5

Think of sound waves. We know that sound travels at a constant speed, but if two singers on stage sing two different notes (one high, one low) simultaneously, the audience in the back of the room will hear them both at the same time. The speed remains the same, but the difference in wavelengths gives us the difference in pitch.

As for light, same principle. Just substitute "light" for "note" and "color" for "pitch".

Answer 6

The velocity of a wave is the product of the frequency and wavelength. A light wave with a greater wavelength will have a smaller freqency, keeping the product, and thus the velocity, constant.

Answer 7

Get one thing straight. Colour depends on frequency, not wavelength.
Now this may sound strange because frequency and wavelength are related by v = f x lamda, but it is true.
When light travels through a medium other than air (or vacuum) it slows down ... quite considerably. But the frequency remains unaltered. As a result, the wavelength changes according to the v = f x lamda relation.

Answer 8

Light is affected by the medium it is traveling through, air, water, or even gravity. And it reflects wavelengths caused by the surfaces you see by its radiance.

In a absolute vacuum the whole electromagnetic spectrum travels at 'C'. Light is a physical thing ( photons ) like our physical bodies ... if it collides with another physical particle/thing/force it will slow down.

Your question made me think ... for the second time tonight.

Thanks;
Jonnie
'c' = The speed of light, but I bet you knew that

Answer 9

Actually, light is inconsistent in speed (Sorry to bust the bubble, but, did it with life on Europa 20 years ago, see what NASA think now), though it caused by interstellar circumstances. The wavelengths, as mentioned above me, are caused by many factors, speed, heat, distance. There many variables involved in this "Theory"!

Answer 10

Think of a light wave as a small magnetic field travelling through space along with a small electric field. These two fields are at right angles to each other as they travel along and they oscillate or flip back and forth as they travel along. The speed of light is the rate at which these two travel along in space and is the same for every color of light. The rate at which these two fields flip back and forth is the frequency of the light and determines the color of the light.