All the Colors of the Rainbow

We sometimes talk about "all the colors of the rainbow," meaning every possible color. And it's true: When we see an actual rainbow, the colors blend from one to the next and we see virtually all the colors (except maybe black, gray, white, brown, and--purple! Violet will have to do.)

But the English scientist Sir Isaac Newton divided the rainbow into seven bands: The colors he named are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo (a kind of dark blue), and violet.

We can remember these colors using this mnemonic that sounds a little like a man's name: ROY G BIV. Of course, this is nonsense; but some English people use the more logical (but harder to remember) phrase, "Richard of York gave battle in vain."

If you don't like either of these, make up one of your own!

Or, think about the colors this way:

• The three primary colors are red, yellow, and blue.
• Red + yellow = orange, which is the secondary color between the two.
• Yellow + blue = green, which is between those two; and
• Blue + red is violet (nearly purple), the last of the bunch.

Sir Isaac stuck indigo in between blue and violet, but it looks kind of purplish. (Indigo is a tertiary color.)

--------

Did you know that sometimes colors can have meanings? They can be different in different cultures, but in English speaking cultures they're often like this:

• Red: "angry," as in "seeing red"; also, "danger," like on stop signs, and maybe "love," like the hearts on Valentine's Day.
• Orange: no exact meaning, but a kind of orangy-yellow is also used for warnings, like on caution signs and school buses.
• Yellow: cowardice, being a "fraidy cat"; calling someone a "yellow-bellied coward" is kind of out-of-date, though.
• Green: growth or ecology, but also "jealousy," called the "green-eyed monster." It can also mean "money," which is green in the U.S.
• Blue: "sad," as in "feeling blue," but it's also a peaceful color.
• Indigo: as a tertiary, it really has no special associations.
• Violet: actually, purple can mean "passion" or sometimes "royalty."

These are just some of the possible meanings of the colors; can you find more?

And there you have it: "All the colors of the rainbow"!

--------

PRACTICE:

Vocabulary: Match the words to their meaning. Correct answers are below.

1. blend
2. caution
3. cowardice
4. ecology
5. fraidy-cat
6. in vain
7. mnemonic
8. monster
9. out-of-date
10. tertiary

A. taking care of the planet
B. at the third level
C. a method or "trick" to help remember things
D. mix; combine
E. a person who is not brave
F. carefulness; a kind of warning
G. uselessly; in a way that doesn't work
H. old-fashioned
I. a dangerous animal or other creature
J. weakness; the state of being afraid

QUESTIONS TO ANSWER:

Answer the following questions in your own words. Suggested answers are below.

1. What are the standard colors of the rainbow, as we state them today?
2. Name some colors that are not in the rainbow.
3. Who gave us the names of the rainbow colors as we used them today?
4. What are the primary colors? What are the secondary colors?
5. What color indicates jealousy? Sadness? Anger?

QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT:

These questions do not have "right" or "wrong" answers. They only ask your opinion.

1. Why are some colors not in the rainbow?
2. Why do you think indigo was chosen as a color of the rainbow?
3. Do you know other meanings for some of these colors?

--------

ANSWERS:

Practice: 1. D; 2. F; 3. J; 4. A; 5. E; 6. G; 7. C; 8. I; 9. H; 10. B

Questions to Answer:

1. The standard colors of the rainbow are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.
2. Black, gray, white, and brown are not in the rainbow.
3. Sir Isaac Newton gave us the names of the rainbow colors.
4. Red, yellow, and blue are the primary colors; orange, green, and violet/purple are the secondary colors.
5. Green indicates jealousy; blue, sadness; and red, anger

Questions to Think About do not have any single correct answer. However, any answers you give should be supported by what you read or by things you know ("I think... because...").