How We See Color

 

Have you ever wondered “how do we see colour?” Well, light enables us to see things, and colour is a property of light. We can see objects around us based on reflected light. Let's find out how. The human eye can only detect a small amount of electromagnetic waves, and they are the visible light waves. Visible light waves come from the sun. Light bulbs are another source of visible light. 

 

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Sunlight is also called white light. What if I told you that white light is made up of all the colours of the rainbow. When white light is bent or refracted the light separates, that's when we see a spectrum of colours. Each coloured light wave bends at a different angle which makes white light separate into something we call ROYGBIV, and that’s short for: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. This is evident when there is a rainbow. Water droplets in the atmosphere bend light and all the colours of white light separate creating a rainbow.

 


 

Here’s an example of how we see objects around us based on reflected light. Visible light comes to the earth from the sun. This sunlight or white light shines on an apple. Remember white light is made up of many other colours. All the coloured light waves are absorbed by the apple, except the red which is reflected. Our eyes see the reflected light and send a message to the brain, that’s how we know this is a red apple.

 

An object that is green absorbs all other coloured light waves except the green which is reflected. An object that is white absorbs no light waves, instead it reflects all the colours. This is because white light is a combination of all of the coloured light waves. So in order for a bunny to appear white, all coloured light waves must be reflected back to the eye. An object that is black absorbs all light waves, but reflects no light. When there is an absence of light or no light is being reflected to the eye, objects appear black or very dark. 


 

In conclusion, when we look at something what we are really seeing is the light that is reflected. In science, white is the presence of all colours. Whereas in art, white suggests the absence of colour. Think of a white piece of paper ready to be painted on. In science, black is the absence of colour (like in a black hole). Whereas in art, black suggests the presence of colour.

 

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