Colour

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/colour

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the visible light spectrum range?Approximately 380 to 750 nanometers in wavelength
2. What is the first synthetic dye?Mauveine, discovered by William Henry Perkin in 1856
3. What is colour and how do we see it?Colour is light that our eyes can see. Light is a kind of electromagnetic radiation. Our eyes have special cells called cones that detect different wavelengths, and the brain puts the signals together to create colour.
4. Why did colours become easier to use after the 19th century?In the 19th century scientists made synthetic dyes, like mauveine, that were bright, stable, and cheaper. These new dyes let more people use colour in textiles, printing, and art.

Electromagnetic Spectrum: The entire range of electromagnetic radiation, including visible light, radio waves, and X-rays.
Photoreceptor Cells: Specialized cells in the retina (rods and cones) that detect light and colour.
Colour Space: A specific range of colours that can be displayed or reproduced by a device or system.
Aposematism: The use of conspicuous warning coloration by an animal to deter predators.