Physical parameters define colors like the pigment primaries

In summary, physical parameters define colors like the pigment primaries - red, blue and yellow - and their mixtures, while light primaries determine the colors of light. Primary pigments absorb one of the primary colors (wavelengths) and reflect the others. When you see blue and green light, don't the wavelenghts add up to green anyways? It's all about how your eye and brain perceives colors, your eye can't distinguish between real green light and the mixture of yellow and blue.
  • #1
Loren Booda
3,125
4
What physical parameters define colors like the pigment primaries - red, blue and yellow - and their mixtures? How about light primaries?
 
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  • #2
What do you mean by physical parameters? The wavelength of light determines its colour, but I guess you already knew that. As for pigments, if you mean, what property of a substance determines its colour, then I guess that has to do with atomic structure or is quantum mechanical. Primary pigments absorb one of the primary colours (wavelengths) and reflect the others.
 
  • #3
My question is basically: what frequencies are assigned to which primary colors, and what is the mechanism that would describe secondary colors as primary combinations corresponding to single frequencies?
 
  • #4
Just look up the EM wavelength chart. Different colors are at different wavelengths.
 
  • #5
That chart is more qualitative than physical regarding a precise definition for primary and secondary colors. Please refer to my previous post. E. g., what is the exact frequency or range of frequencies for the color blue, and how is green defined as a mixture of yellow and blue frequencies?
 
  • #6
You perceive Yellow & Blue as green but it's not really green. Its all about how your eye and brain perceives colors, your eye can't distinguish between real green light and the mixture of yellow and blue. A very interesting question you can ask is if you have a yellow and blue dot separated by a distance x , how far away do you have to be to see green? For the color/wavelengths I will again refer you to a EM chart, it's out there.
 
  • #7
my question is, can anyone?
when you see blue and green light,
don't the wavelenghts add up to green anyways?
wave-wise
 
  • #8
No, it's biology of the eye. It's all about the cones and rods, but mostly cones for color.
 
  • #9
so wavelenght-wise two waves, a blue and a yellow, arent the same as one, a green?
they look the same but they are not?
im confused
 
  • #10
I'll refer you too any of the good references on color vision. You're getting into more biology.
 
  • #11
Maybe, in part, colors are defined by the blackbody spectrum of the sun.
 
  • #12
No, color is not defined by blackbody radiation.
 
  • #13
The answer lies primarily in the phototransduction mechanism in the eye, but there's a rough connection with averaging wavelengths as well. I'm certainly not qualified to discourse on this with any authority, but from my scant understanding...

...the crude version of the mechanism involves photoexcitation in the retina. Each such event creates a mobile electron-ion pair of related energy, which affect the membrane potential of the photoreceptor. This potential is what gets coded as a color.
 
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1. What are physical parameters?

Physical parameters refer to measurable characteristics of an object or substance, such as size, shape, weight, or color. These parameters can be used to describe and define the properties of an object.

2. How do physical parameters define colors?

Physical parameters, such as wavelength and intensity, are used to define the specific color of an object. These parameters determine the amount and type of light that is reflected or absorbed by the object, creating the perception of color.

3. What are pigment primaries?

Pigment primaries are the three basic colors - red, yellow, and blue - that are used in traditional color mixing. These colors cannot be created by mixing other colors and are used as a base for creating a wide range of other colors.

4. How do pigment primaries relate to physical parameters?

The physical parameters of pigment primaries, such as their specific wavelengths and intensities, determine the colors they create when mixed together. By adjusting these parameters, different shades and hues can be achieved.

5. Why are physical parameters important in defining colors?

Physical parameters are important because they provide a scientific and objective way to define and describe colors. This allows for consistent and accurate communication about colors, which is essential in fields such as art, design, and science.

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