Final answer:
The color of light is primarily determined by its wavelength and frequency, with shorter wavelengths corresponding to blues and longer wavelengths to reds. Amplitude affects brightness, not color. The speed of light relates frequency and wavelength in the equation λν = c.
Step-by-step explanation:
The color of light is determined by its wavelength and frequency. Visible light is a type of electromagnetic radiation consisting of waves, which are characterized by a wavelength (λ), frequency (ν), and amplitude. The wavelength is the distance between consecutive peaks or troughs in a wave and it is directly linked to the color we perceive. Shorter wavelengths correspond to blue and violet colors, whereas longer wavelengths correspond to red and orange colors. The frequency is the number of wave cycles that pass a specified point per unit of time, and it is inversely related to wavelength; as the frequency increases, the wavelength shortens, resulting in a shift towards the blue end of the spectrum.
The amplitude of a light wave, on the other hand, is related to its intensity or brightness, not its color. Thus, while color is primarily dependent on wavelength and frequency, brightness is influenced by the wave's amplitude. The speed of light, denoted as c, connects the frequency and wavelength of light, with the relationship described by the equation λν = c, where λ is the wavelength, ν is the frequency, and c is the speed of light.