• bisby@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    A spectrum is usually drawn similar to the one on the left. But the point of a spectrum is that its not “where on the spectrum are you”… It is not one point on the spectrum. As drawn on the left, the spectrum represents possibilities. Normally a spectrum would be drawn to indicate how much of each possibility a thing covers.

    Eg, the spectrum for light emission of a lamp might be :

    Which means it has a bit varying of every color but is heavily green and orange, but probably looks just like white to the naked eye. Swap “green” for “language” etc and you have a spectrum.

    • InternetPerson@lemmings.world
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      7 months ago

      As an engineer, I concur.

      Although I would make one adjustment:

      It is not one point on the spectrum.

      Theoretically, it can be a single point regarding the reference unit (here, the colour). Consider ideal laserlight for example, there you have just one specific wavelength, i.e., a single colour. The magnitude might differ, but it would be a single point in a mathematical sense.

    • BreadOven@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      Aren’t the OP circle spectrum supposed to be filled out like this:

      Edit: I do agree the linear spectra can (and obviously do) look like what you posted.

      Also I just searched circular spectrum to find the one I posted. I neither agree nor disagree with it. I didn’t actually read where it came from.