Which statement correctly describes ultraviolet light's wavelength range compared to the visible spectrum?

• A. Ultraviolet light has longer wavelengths than visible light.
• B. Ultraviolet light has the same wavelength as visible light.
• C. Ultraviolet light has shorter wavelengths than visible light.
• D. Ultraviolet light has longer wavelengths than radio waves.

Answer: (C)

Ultraviolet light has shorter wavelengths than visible light. The visible range is about 380 to 750 nanometers, while ultraviolet light lies at roughly 10 to 400 nanometers, placing it on the shorter-wavelength side of the spectrum (with UVA, UVB, and UVC sub-ranges). Since wavelength is inversely related to frequency and energy, shorter wavelengths mean higher energy per photon, which is why ultraviolet light behaves differently from visible light. The idea that ultraviolet light has longer wavelengths than visible light would be incorrect, and ultraviolet is not the same as visible light, nor does it exceed radio waves in wavelength—radio waves have much longer wavelengths.