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Course: Exploratorium > Unit 2
Lesson 4: CD Spectroscope- Introduction: Turn an old CD into a spectroscope to analyze light and color
- Build your own CD spectroscope: Materials, tools, and steps
- To do and notice: See the true colors
- What’s going on: Spreading light into a spectrum
- CD Spectroscope: Complete activity guide
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What’s going on: Spreading light into a spectrum
Most light that you see is made up of many different wavelengths, which get bent at slightly different angles when reflected off a CD, producing a unique spectrum. Find out more about how your specially engineered CD spectroscope works!
Want to join the conversation?
Is it possible to scan something smaller than a wavelength of light with an electron microscope?(1 vote)
Yes. With a tunneling electron microscope you can see all the way down to individual atoms.(1 vote)
- Where is the purple, yellow, and orange? I see red, green, and blue, but not purple, yellow, and orange. I am pretty sure that each color has an equal number of wavelengths in the spectrum.(1 vote)
Why are you sure that "each color has an equal number of wavelengths in the spectrum"?
Did you make an experiment to measure it or did you trust someone else to do an experiment for you? If you trusted someone else, who was it and how did they convince you?(0 votes)