VIBGYOR: Black Letter's Place in the Glass Slab

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the optical effects observed when viewing colored letters, including a black letter, through a glass slab. It explores concepts of refraction, color perception, and the implications of using a black object in this context.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions whether a black letter would appear raised to the maximum or minimum height when viewed through a glass slab, referencing the VIBGYOR color order.
  • Another participant seeks clarification on the terms 'height' and 'raised the maximum or minimum,' suggesting that an ideally black object viewed through a colored filter would still appear black.
  • A participant explains that due to refraction, colors appear raised at different heights, and inquires about the position of black in this scale.
  • It is noted that black is not considered a color, and the visibility of black letters depends on the background color, which affects the perceived shift due to refraction.
  • A phenomenon is described where black objects can create a rainbow fringe effect around them when viewed in water, depending on the angle of observation.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the nature of black as a color and its optical effects, with no consensus reached on how black letters behave in relation to other colors when viewed through a glass slab.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes assumptions about the properties of light and color perception that may not be universally agreed upon, particularly regarding the definition of black and its interaction with colored backgrounds.

Samar117
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suppose one keeps a glass slab over a paper containing various colored letters, i kno the order of the height according to VIBGYOR, but what would happen if one of the letters is black?
Will it be raised the maximum or minimum?
 
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Samar117 said:
suppose one keeps a glass slab over a paper containing various colored letters, i kno the order of the height according to VIBGYOR, but what would happen if one of the letters is black?
Will it be raised the maximum or minimum?

What does 'height' mean?
What does 'raised the maximum or minimum' mean?

An ideally black object seen through a transparent coloured filter of any colour will be seen as black.

If the object is ideally black, it is because it transmits/reflects/emits no light. Putting a colour filter in front of 'no light' will change nothing.
 
what i meant was due to refraction the letters will appear raised, like the bottom of a swimming pool does and due to different wavelength of the colours, they appear to be raised at different heights... I wanted to know where the color black lies in this scale.
 
Samar117 said:
what i meant was due to refraction the letters will appear raised, like the bottom of a swimming pool does and due to different wavelength of the colours, they appear to be raised at different heights... I wanted to know where the color black lies in this scale.

Black is not a colour. Technically, you do not see the letters at all. What you do see is the edge of the letters where the non-black background starts. So the question is: What color is the background upon which the black letters sit?

If the background is red, then the letters will appear shifted as much as any other red object.
If the background is green, then the letters will appear shifted as much as any other green object.

If the background is white, then all colours of light are being reflected from it. Since they will all be refracted differently, what happens is that the black letters have a rainbow edge.

I've actually noticed this phenomenon while swimming in my pool. Around black objects, you see a rainbow fringe. (What's really cool is that it only works in one axis, the axis that is perpendicular to the angle of viewing from the surface of the water. You don't get the rainbow effect along the axis that's parallel to the water.)
 
Last edited:
Thanks a lot. Precisely what I wanted to know.
 

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