Why wavelength is selected to decide about colour which is always a variable during the propagation of light, whereas frequency for each colour is fixed and not generally considered to mention the colour?

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Yasha Patel

Frequency determines colour. But the reason why we do not use frequency very often because when it comes to light, wavelength is easier to measure.
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Colour of light depends on the wavelength of light. The distinct wavelength for a particular colour. (that's why spectrum is there). Frequency cannot be changed easily because it is to do with Phase of Magnetic and electric field. Hence when the speed of light changes or bends, the wavelength gets altered....
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Colour of light depends on the wavelength of light. The distinct wavelength for a particular colour. (that's why spectrum is there). Frequency cannot be changed easily because it is to do with Phase of Magnetic and electric field. Hence when the speed of light changes or bends, the wavelength gets altered. But in quantum mechanics, you will study that the frequency difference is very minimal. read less
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Home Tutor with 3 years of experience

Colour of light depends on the wavelength of light. The distinct wavelength for a particular colour. (that's why spectrum is there). Frequency cannot be changed easily because it is to do with Phase of Magnetic and electric field. Hence when the speed of light changes or bends, the wavelength gets altered....
read more
Colour of light depends on the wavelength of light. The distinct wavelength for a particular colour. (that's why spectrum is there). Frequency cannot be changed easily because it is to do with Phase of Magnetic and electric field. Hence when the speed of light changes or bends, the wavelength gets altered. But in quantum mechanics, you will study that the frequency difference is very minimal. read less
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Wavelength is not selected by anyone to decide the colour. It has been found that the wavelength of different colours is different (except in vacuum). As you rightly mentioned, the frequency is constant for all the colours, and we know that speed is the multiplication of wavelength and frequency. Light...
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Wavelength is not selected by anyone to decide the colour. It has been found that the wavelength of different colours is different (except in vacuum). As you rightly mentioned, the frequency is constant for all the colours, and we know that speed is the multiplication of wavelength and frequency. Light gets split into different colours in denser medium only because the speed of different colours are different there. Keeping the frequency constant, the only wavelength becomes characteristic of the colour. read less
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Tutor

Colour is a qualitative human perception that is not merely a function of wavelength or frequency (intensity matters too). If you look at an object while your eye is exposed to another medium than air, the perception we call colour may change due to different absorption of the light in the medium.
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Computer Science Tutor with experience. Programmer and FOSSie.

Frequency is the reciprocal of wavelength. So both in fact point to to the same property of the wave.
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For almost all detectors, it is the energy of the photon that is the attribute detected and the energy is not changed by a refractive medium. So the "colour" is unchanged by the medium.
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Because the wavelength is indicated by the length of light, which is defined by the speed of light divided by frequency.
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Tutor

Frequency is different for each colour and remains constant in any medium but as far as air or vacuum is concerned (our medium) speed of all the radiation are same hence the wavelength of a different colour is different and it's easy to calculate wavelength than the frequency in air. So, in air or vacuum,...
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Frequency is different for each colour and remains constant in any medium but as far as air or vacuum is concerned (our medium) speed of all the radiation are same hence the wavelength of a different colour is different and it's easy to calculate wavelength than the frequency in air. So, in air or vacuum, the wavelength is used to characterise the colour while in another medium like water and Glass, frequency is used to characterise the colour. read less
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You mentioned it correctly, the texts you are following are ambiguous for sure.But they can't be argued as per the colour because a single colour contains a large band of frequencies, and the change in wavelength due to change of medium is unnoticeable in reference to colours of light.I would recommend...
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You mentioned it correctly, the texts you are following are ambiguous for sure.But they can't be argued as per the colour because a single colour contains a large band of frequencies, and the change in wavelength due to change of medium is unnoticeable in reference to colours of light.I would recommend you to follow more texts for surety of your knowledge.All the very best! read less
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