Did you know that light and sound are both waves?

This means the way that they transfer energy through space is in the form of a wave! Light waves and sound waves are, however, very different. Light travels much, much faster than sound (have you ever heard the phrase: “at the speed of light”?). “Light waves move at speeds that are nearly one million times faster than sound waves are capable of traveling.” 

Wave-lengths are how we distinguish between colors of visible light. Red light is made of longer, slower waves, and violet light is made of shorter, faster waves. The widely-known sequence of visible light, or “colors of the rainbow” (ROYGBIV), are actually in wavelength order! A rainbow is a spectrum, or separation, of light, caused by rays of sunshine shining through raindrops that are suspended in the air after a rainstorm.

To learn more about the behavior of light, check out the Light Loom exhibit at the Science Mill to see a hands-on demonstration of color mixing! And if you want to explore more about sound waves, head on over to the Explorer Zone to learn about Sound in our Silos!