ROYGBIV
Roy G. Biv is a popular mnemonic device used for memorizing the traditional optical spectrum:
The colors are arranged in the order of decreasing wavelengths, with red being about 700 nanometers and violet being about 400 nm.
In Great Britain schoolchildren are taught the mnemonic Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain. Another popular mnemonic is Ring Out Your Great Bells In Victory. A third is Read out your good book in verse, referring to the Bible.
In truth, since the spectrum is a continuum, the selecting or omitting of individual colors in a list of representative colors is arbitrary. The traditional inclusion of the color indigo is attributed to Isaac Newton, who at some times wanted the number of colors in his spectrum to come out to seven to match the number of days in the week, the number of notes in the musical scale, and the number of known planets. He also sometimes listed as few as five colors, omitting both indigo and orange.[1][2]
ROYGBIV is also a color space, albeit one with more than three components.
In other places, the visible spectrum of light is easily remembered by the acronym VIBGYOR.
Cultural references
"Roygbiv" is the name of a song by Boards of Canada on their album Music Has The Right To Children.
References
- ^ Hutchison, Niels (2004). "Music For Measure: On the 300th Anniversary of Newton's Opticks". Colour Music. Retrieved 2006-08-11.
- ^ Newton, Isaac (1704). Opticks.
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