Contrary to prevailing scientific opinion, Newton felt colours were already present in White light and it was not impurities found in the Prism that gave the Rainbow effect. Subscribe to Earth Science: http://bit.ly/SubscribeToEarthLab

What set Newton apart from other scientists was that he famously devised and performed an experiment to test his hypothesis.

In Search Of Science Episode 1
Brian Cox is going in search of the best of British science. Introducing his science heroes, Brian visits the places where they made their discoveries, recreating their experiments and examining their legacy to their scientific descendants.

Welcome to BBC Earth Science! Here we answer all your curious questions about science in the world around you. If there’s a question you have that we haven’t yet answered let us know in the comments!