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OCR GCSE Combined Science A · J250
OCR J250 · P4.2e Check the specification (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
The electromagnetic spectrum is the complete range of electromagnetic radiation. Human eyes detect only a small part of this range, called . This means that what we can see does not reveal all the electromagnetic radiation around us.
Visible light includes the colours red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. These colours correspond to different wavelengths within the range our eyes can detect: red has the longest wavelength and violet the shortest.
The spectrum continues beyond both ends of the visible range. Infrared lies just beyond the red end, at longer wavelengths. Ultraviolet lies just beyond the violet end, at shorter wavelengths. Neither is detectable by human eyes.
Human eyes detect the visible range between infrared and ultraviolet. The diagram is not to scale.
For example, when you see the colours of a rainbow, you are seeing different wavelengths within the visible range—not the whole electromagnetic spectrum. Radiation outside that range is invisible to us, but this does not mean it is absent. Human vision therefore provides only a limited view of the electromagnetic spectrum.
State that human eyes detect only visible light, not the whole electromagnetic spectrum.
Do not confuse ‘invisible’ with ‘absent’: radiation can be present without being detectable by human eyes.
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Electromagnetic spectrum
The complete range of electromagnetic radiation, arranged by wavelength or frequency.
Visible light
The range of electromagnetic radiation that human eyes can detect.
Put your knowledge into practice — try past paper questions for Combined Science A
Electromagnetic spectrum
The complete range of electromagnetic radiation, arranged by wavelength or frequency.
Visible light
The range of electromagnetic radiation that human eyes can detect.