Roy G. Biv Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to : English mnemonics # Colour Roy G. Biv is a popular mnemonic device used for memorizing the traditional optical spectrum : R ed O range Y ellow G reen B lue I ndigo V iolet The colors are arranged in the order of decreasing wavelengths , with red being about 700 nanometers and violet being about 400 nm . In Great Britain schoolchildren are taught the mnemonic Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain . Another popular mnemonic is Ring Out Your Great Bells In Victory . A third is Read out your good book in verse , referring to the Bible . In truth , since the spectrum is a continuum , the selecting or omitting of individual colors in a list of representative colors is arbitrary . The traditional inclusion of the color indigo is attributed to Isaac Newton , who at some times wanted the number of colors in his spectrum to come out to seven to match the number of days in the week , the number of notes in the musical scale , and the number of known planets . He also sometimes listed as few as five colors , omitting both indigo and orange . ROYGBIV is also a color space , albeit one with more than three components . In other places , the visible spectrum of light is easily remembered by the acronym VIBGYOR . Cultural references `` Roygbiv '' is the name of a song by Boards of Canada on their album Music Has The Right To Children . References ^ Hutchison , Niels ( 2004 ) . Music For Measure : On the 300th Anniversary of Newton 's Opticks . Colour Music . Retrieved on 2006-08-11 . ^ Newton , Isaac ( 1704 ) . Opticks . This color -related article is a stub . You can help Wikipedia by expanding it . Categories : Color stubs | Optical spectrum | Mnemonics In other languages : Беларуская http : //home.vicnet.net.au/~colmusic/opticks3.htm Music For Measure : On the 300th Anniversary of Newton 's Opticks 2006-08-11 Hutchison Niels 2004 Colour Music Newton Isaac Isaac Newton Opticks 1704 English mnemonics # Colour 