Primary Blend
Emily Dykheng
Peter Pham

White Light

White light is not white at all but the continuum of all the colors of the spectrum. The primary colors that our eyes recognize are red, blue and green. The term wavelength refers to where on the electromagnetic spectrum a wave lies. The range or band of wavelengths which we can see is called visible light and ranges from 400nm to 700nm.

Color Additive theory

The process of combining wavelengths of light to create different colors is additive color. Through this process it is possible to create the illusion of seeing any color in the spectrum. Mixing an equal amount of two primary colors creates a secondary or complementary color (cyan, magenta, and yellow). Did you know that television sets and computer screens only use the colors red, green and blue to project the images you see onto the screen?

Description

Our color mixer shows additive color mixing. Try mixing the colors on the right by adjusting the red, green, and blue lights to match a color on the left or try making your own colors.

How the Eye Sees Colors

When we see an image, we are seeing the light that has been reflected or emitted from an object. This light is focused through the lens to the retina on the back wall of the eye. On the retina there are photoreceptors (rods and cones) which are stimulated by different wavelengths of light. These cones are each sensitive to red, green or blue. Together these cones allow us to see millions of different colors by combining the different levels of impulse they receive. This information is then sent to the brain where the red, blue and green values are pieced together and result in color vision.