Data A. Light Spectra of different colored LEDs A.

1 Red

A.2 Orange

A.3 Green

A.4 Blue

A.5 Green

In this part of the experiment we used 300 lines/mm transmission grating for the student spectrometer. B. Calibration, angular readings of the green line Trials 1 Direct image CW |CCW 357o20 | 177o20 CW reading 349o10 CCW reading 186o10 CW 8o10 CCW 8o50 Absolute difference 0o10

C. Red LED, angular readings of the red line Color Red First Order 11o45 Second Order 24o 677.89

(nm) 678.81

Rel. dev. 2.85%

Rel. dev. 2.71%

D. Spectrum of Orange LED, angular readings of the orange line Color Orange First Order 10o45 (nm) 621.75 Second Order o 21 40 615.34

Rel. dev. 1.59%

Rel. dev. 0.55%

E. Spectrum of Green LED, angular readings of the green line Color Green First Order 9o50 (nm) 569.28 Second Order 19o10 547.2

Rel. dev. 0.76%

Rel. dev. 3.15%

F. Spectrum of Blue LED, angular readings of the blue line Color Blue First Order 8o40 Second Order o 17 487.29

(nm) 502.29

Rel. dev. 6.87%

Rel. dev. 3.68%

G. Spectrum of Violet LED, angular readings of the violet line Color Orange First Order 7o50 (nm) 454.31 Second Order o 15 431.37

Rel. dev. 5.65%

Rel. dev. 0.32%

Results and Discussion In the first part of the experiment, the handheld spectrometer was used to find out what the spectrum looks like for each colored LED. We found out that the spectra of these LED lights were all continuous. For a more accurate picture of what each of the spectrum looks like the figures below show it. Fig. 1. Red LED Spectrum Fig. 2. Orange LED Spectrum Fig. 3. Green LED Spectrum

Fig. 4. Blue LED spectrum

Fig. 5. Violet LED spectrum

These Light Emitting Diodes operate under the principles of additive color mixing. Red, green, and blue light are the primary colors of light. Using these colors, we can achieve the additive color mixing. Varying amounts of these three colors of light can be added to create the other colors of light in the visible spectrum. Based on the perception of color by the human eye, these three colors were derived. The three types of cones in most peoples eyes are sensitive to short, medium, and long wavelengths which roughly correspond to blue, green and red light.

These colors correspond to the band-pass filtered chromaticity response of cones in the human retina. Color mixing in light is additive, the three light beams are added together, and their light spectra add, wavelength for wavelength, to make the final color's spectrum.

Fig. 6. The human eye as the source of photopic response

The CIE 1931 color space (Fig. 7) provides mathematical accuracy for color definitions. The color space can also be used to predict how blends of variously colored LEDs will be perceived. The diagram in Fig.6 explains how the visible spectrum is perceived in the LEDs, which was observed in the experiment. The spectra of red, blue, and green LED can be observed from the diagram by how much the curve extends. For example, in the blue LED, what we can perceive is from the color violet to green only which ranges from approximately 430-500 nm as seen in the diagram. Fig. 7. CIE 1931 XY chromaticity diagram However, the spectra in the orange and violet LEDs is perceived through the combination of colors that was mentioned earlier. Suppose that the orange LED was perceived by the eyes, light of these wavelengths would activate both the medium and long wavelength cones of the retina. The spectrum will then extend from colors blue to red 500-660 nm (only a little bit of blue). From the experiment we saw this. Same goes with the violet LED where we can almost see the full spectrum because it is the combination of the red and blue colors which are the short and long wavelengths.

In the second part of the experiment where the student spectrometer was used, the observed spectrum for each LED was the same (continuous spectra). Angular readings were made for a specific color for each, which is what their color is. For example, only the blue bright line (or the where the blue color was dominant) was measured for the blue LED. This is because it was hard to measure the other colors of the spectrum for it is continuous. Using the equation: m = d sin , the wavelengths were calculated for first order and second order. The deviations were small; the calculated wavelengths were close to the theoretical wavelengths for LED. This means that the apparatus was also suitable for finding experimental values of wavelengths, but it was hard to achieve accuracy because the spectrum was continuous. Also, it was not easy finding where the dominant colors are in the spectrum. Conclusion Therefore, Light Emitting Diodes operate using additive color mixing. Only red, green and blue are the primary colors for these lights, nothing else. Other colors were achieved using this process. Different colored LEDs all has continuous spectra but not all colors for each were perceived. Each spectrum has different range of colors and so they have different wavelengths. These LEDs do not only transmit one color as we may think at first because on the outside we only see one color.