Final answer:
When white light hits different colored surfaces, the color observed depends on the colors reflected by those surfaces. A spectrometer reveals different types of spectra, such as continuous and line spectra, for various light sources. RGB colors on screens can be examined for their specific wavelengths, frequencies, and photon energies.
Step-by-step explanation:
Predicting Color of Light Observed Through Various Mediums
If white light from an incandescent lamp is passed through different mediums, the color of light observed can vary based on the medium's properties. For example, if white light shines on a yellow paper, the paper reflects yellow light and absorbs other colors. Consequently, our eyes perceive the paper as yellow. When yellow light shines on a white paper, the paper reflects yellow light, and again, the paper will appear yellow. If red and green lights shine on a white paper, the lights may mix to produce a yellow appearance, because red and green are primary colors of light that combine to form yellow.
Regarding a spectrometer's use, when analyzing the light spectrum of various sources, you might expect the following results: a household lightbulb to produce a continuous spectrum, the Sun to show a continuous spectrum with dark absorption lines (known as Fraunhofer lines), the 'neon lights of Broadway' to exhibit a line spectrum or emission spectrum due to the gaseous elements used, an ordinary household flashlight to yield a continuous spectrum similar to the household lightbulb, and a streetlight (often sodium-vapor lamps) to display a line spectrum characteristic of sodium's emission lines.
When analyzing light with a spectrum of visible light to observe colors on a computer or television screen, each color corresponds to a specific wavelength. The approximate wavelengths for red, green, and blue are 700 nm, 550 nm, and 450 nm respectively. By using these values, we can calculate the frequency and energy of a photon of each color utilizing the formulas for electromagnetic wave properties.