Which wavelength corresponds to the blue cone type?

Which wavelength corresponds to the blue cone type?

• A. Ultraviolet
• B. Long
• C. Medium
• D. Short

Answer: (D)

Light is detected by three cone types in the human eye, each tuned to a different part of the spectrum. The blue cone is the short-wavelength sensitive type, peaking in the blue region around 420–450 nanometers. That’s why it’s called the short-wavelength cone—the sensitivity sits in the blue part of visible light. Long-wavelength cones are more sensitive to red light, and medium-wavelength cones to green. Ultraviolet lies outside the visible range for humans, so it isn’t detected by the normal cone types.

Light is detected by three cone types in the human eye, each tuned to a different part of the spectrum. The blue cone is the short-wavelength sensitive type, peaking in the blue region around 420–450 nanometers. That’s why it’s called the short-wavelength cone—the sensitivity sits in the blue part of visible light. Long-wavelength cones are more sensitive to red light, and medium-wavelength cones to green. Ultraviolet lies outside the visible range for humans, so it isn’t detected by the normal cone types.