To grow plants with artificial light, I need a device that can measure the wavelength of light and make sure I get the desired wavelength to the plant. This device is very expensive. Can I use the color temperature to achieve the same result and measure the blue and red light using the light temperature and make sure I get the right wavelength?
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3$\begingroup$ Are you talking about the black body temperature colour? ie red hot -> white hot ->blue hot. Because most lights produce light through different means $\endgroup$– NyraCommented Oct 11, 2021 at 7:53
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1$\begingroup$ How precisely do you need to measure the wavelength? $\endgroup$– DanDan面Commented Oct 11, 2021 at 8:00
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$\begingroup$ There is lots of interesting research on what color(s) of llight to use when (in the growth cycle) and where (above, below, ...) on various plants. $\endgroup$– Jon CusterCommented Oct 11, 2021 at 13:11
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$\begingroup$ Since all light sources designed for plant growth come with some crude wavelength ratings, don't bother. Plants are not going to be annoyed by unusable wavelengths, and their "desired" wavelengths are reasonably wide-band. $\endgroup$– Carl WitthoftCommented Oct 11, 2021 at 14:53
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If you are meaning the blackbody light then probably not, older Incandescent light bulbs produce this type of light, but most newer light use atomic Emissions these produce light a specific colours but often have gaps between them so they might miss the wavelengths you need. I think there are specific lights that are designed to have the right wavelengths of light.
But depending on your budget/time/interest, this might work to measure the spectra.
you could get a sheet of diffraction grating(~$10) which splits out the light like a prism.
This allows you to see how much of each colour is present, you could calibrate using either a mercury lamp (they are common as fluro tubes) or sodium lights (orange street lights) as they have well know spectra (distribution of colours)
If you are after a more accurate measure of the colours, you could then get a light dependent resistor that you can move along the colours the grating splits out, again calibrating with a known spectra.
hopefully that helps
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$\begingroup$ This isn't strictly true (atomic emissions). For example, "White light" LEDs actually use the LED output to stimulate a coating which fluoresces across a wide range of wavelengths. You can buy LEDs with coatings tuned to a variety of ColorTemperature equivalents. $\endgroup$ Commented Oct 11, 2021 at 14:55