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Light Spectrum
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Refers to the total range of wavelengths present in light. The light spectrum is more properly called the electromagnetic spectrum and ranges from gamma rays, which are the shortest wavelengths, to radio waves, which are the longest. Between these two, ranging from shortest to longest are: X-rays, Ultraviolet, Visible Light, Infrared (which includes near infrared, middle infrared, and far infrared), and Microwaves. As wavelengths get shorter, they increase in energy. Gamma rays, which are as small as a nucleus of an atom, have a tremendous quantity of energy, while radio waves, which can be hundreds of feet long, have much less energy. The wavelengths of the light spectrum that humans are able to see (all within the visible light spectrum, hence the name) represent only a small portion of the total light spectrum.
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