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Where does visible light fall within the electromagnetic spectrum?

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Diagram of a tree leaf illustrating photosynthesis, with arrows showing sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide entering the leaf and sugars and oxygen being produced. A person is shown beside the tree to demonstrate the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between plants and animals. — electromagnetic radiation Diagram of photosynthesis showing how water, light, and carbon dioxide are absorbed by a plant to produce oxygen, sugars, and more carbon dioxide.

Visible light occupies a small, specific segment of the electromagnetic spectrum, which encompasses the entire range of electromagnetic radiation frequencies and wavelengths.123

Within this spectrum, visible light is positioned between ultraviolet radiation (which has shorter wavelengths) and infrared radiation (which has longer wavelengths). While the boundaries are not sharply defined and can vary by individual, the visible range is generally considered to span wavelengths from approximately 400 nanometers at the violet end to 700 nanometers at the red end.2

Because electromagnetic radiation spans an immense range of frequencies—from low-frequency radio waves to high-frequency gamma rays—the spectrum is conventionally divided into regions based on how the waves are produced, detected, and utilized. Visible light is unique primarily because it is the only portion of this vast spectrum that the human eye can perceive.243