Level 6: Light and colour

Waves, sound and light · level 6 of 8 · rough age 13-14 (a guide for parents; anyone can start anywhere)

This level is about colour, and why the skies of Earth and Mars look so different. You put wavelengths to the colours of the rainbow, place visible light in the whole electromagnetic spectrum, and see why things have colour. Then you find out how tiny particles scatter light, turning Earth's sky blue and Mars's sunset blue, and how a rover's camera gets the colours right.

Lesson	You will be able to
The spectrum	Give the wavelength and frequency of each colour of light
The electromagnetic spectrum	Place radio, infrared, light, ultraviolet and X-rays in order
Why things have colour	Explain colour by reflection and absorption, and why Mars is red
Scattering	Use the \(1/\lambda^4\) rule to explain Earth's blue sky and red sunsets
The sky of Mars	Explain Mars's dusty daytime sky and its blue sunsets
Colour cameras on Mars	Explain how a camera records colour and why images are white-balanced

Previous: Level 5: Wave speed · Next: Level 7: Lenses and telescopes · Waves, sound and light topic page