- Color is a physiological response caused by light wavelengths entering the retina. The visible light spectrum ranges from 700-400nm and is commonly known as ROYGBIV. - Objects appear colored due to selective absorption and reflection/transmission of light wavelengths. Pigments in objects absorb certain wavelengths while reflecting others. - In additive color mixing, combining red, green and blue light produces white and other secondary colors. In subtractive color mixing, combining pigments absorbs colors and removes them from reflected light.

3. ____ RED

4. ____ ROY
GIV

5. ____ ROY
GBIV

6. ____ GREEN

7. ____ ROY
GBIV

9. BLUE
+
GREEN

10. BLUE
+
RED

11. RED
+
GREEN

12. COLOR is a physiological and
psychological response to the
wavelengths of light entering the
retina.

14. VISIBLE LIGHT SPECTRUM
•Situated between Infrared Light and
Ultraviolet Light
•Consists of a spectrum of wavelengths
that range from 700 nanometers to 400
nanometers approximately
•Also known as ROYGBIV or the Color
Spectrum
•Each individual wavelength within the
spectrum represents a color

15. DISPERSION – separation of
visible light into different
wavelengths/colors
RED – longest wavelength
and lowest frequency in the
Color Spectrum
VIOLET – shortest wavelength
and highest frequency in the
Color Spectrum

16. BLACK – absence of the
wavelengths of the visible
light spectrum
WHITE – seen when all the
wavelengths of the
spectrum are perceived
by the eye ; combination
of all the colors in the
spectrum

17. •As the light enters the eye, it strikes the
retina which is lined with sensitive cells
known as rods and cones.
•Rods – sensitive to the intensity of light but
cannot distinguish between the different
wavelengths
•Cones – color-sensing cells of the retina;
there are 3 type of cones, each sensitive
to a range of wavelengths in the spectrum

18. •RED CONE – sensitive to
the lower frequencies ROY
•GREEN CONE – sensitive to
the middle frequencies
•BLUE CONE – sensitive to
the higher frequencies

21. When a light wave strikes upon an
object, the different frequencies
of light are either absorbed or
reflected/transmitted.
When can you tell when a frequency of light is absorbed or
reflected/transmitted?

22. SELECTIVE ABSORPTION OF LIGHT:
•Occurs when the frequency of the incident light is the
same as the frequency at which the atoms of the object
vibrate
•When a frequency of light is absorbed, it is not seen or
observed in an object.
•Objects have different colors because they contain
different pigments which absorb one or more
frequencies of light.
Ex. In a red object illuminated by white light, the OYGBIV
components of the incident light is not observed. OYGBIV
are the absorbed frequencies of light.

23. When the frequency of the incident
light wave does not match the
frequency at which the atoms of the
object move, reflection and
transmission of light occurs.

24. Important components in
determining the color of an object:
• INCIDENT LIGHT
• KIND OF PIGMENT IN THE OBJECT
(or what colors are absorbed by the pigment)
**As to why, this will be discussed further in the topic of Color Addition and Subtraction.

25. •Occurs when the frequency of the
incident light is not the same as the
frequency at which the atoms of the
opaque object vibrate
•The color of the object depends on the
frequency of the light wave that is reflected.
Ex. In a red opaque object illuminated by white light, RED
LIGHT is reflected and it is the color we perceive. OYGBIV
was observed therefore you cannot perceive it.

26. WHAT ABOUT BLACK AND WHITE OBJECTS?
•When an object is black, all the colors of the spectrum
are absorbed by pigment in the object.
•When an object is white, all the colors of the
spectrum are reflected and nothing is absorbed.

28. •Occurs when the frequency of the
incident light is not the same as the
frequency at which the atoms of the
translucent/transparent object vibrate
•The color of the object depends on the
frequency of the light wave that is transmitted.
Ex. In a red glass illuminated by white light, RED LIGHT is
transmitted through. OYGBIV was absorbed by the pigment
in the glass.

29. Why is window glass colorless?
- It transmits light of all visible
frequencies and does not absorb
any frequency of light.

32. - the process of adding two or more colors for production of a new color

33. White light is not only
produced by
combining all the
frequencies of the
color spectrum. White
light can is also
produced by
combining the
primary colors of light:
red, green, blue.

34. ADDITIVE PRIMARY COLORS OF
LIGHT
RED GREEN BLUE

35. When two primary
colors of light: red,
green, blue are
added, secondary
colors of light are
produced. The
secondary colors of
light are yellow, cyan
and magenta.

36. SECONDARY COLORS OF LIGHT
BLUE + GREEN = YELLOW BLUE + RED = MAGENTA BLUE + GREEN = CYAN

37. COMPLEMENTARY COLORS OF LIGHT
-two colors of light (one primary, one secondary that together, in equal
intensities produce white light
-the complementary colors of light are magenta & green, cyan & red and
yellow & blue.
magenta + green cyan + red yellow + blue
(red + blue) + green (green + blue) + red (red + green) + blue
= white = white = white

38. -the process of determining the resulting color of an object through
subtracting from the frequencies in incident light the frequencies that
are absorbed by the pigment in the object

39. Important components in determining the color of an
object:
• INCIDENT LIGHT
• KIND OF PIGMENT IN THE OBJECT
WHY?
The kind of pigment of the object determines
what colors it absorbs from the incident light. The
color that is not absorbed (or subtracted) is the
resulting color.

40. SUBTRACTIVE PRIMARY COLORS OF
LIGHT & PRIMARY COLORS OF PAINT
YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN
absorbs blue light absorbs green light absorbs red light

41. -when you add two
subtractive primary
colors, you get an
additive primary color
as a result
- when you add all
subtractive primary
colors, you get BLACK

42. YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN
-GREEN = RED -RED = BLUE -BLUE = GREEN
-RED = GREEN - BLUE = RED -GREEN = BLUE
•The color that •The color that •The color that
YELLOW LIGHT MAGENTA LIGHT CYAN LIGHT
can absorb is can absorb is can absorb is
BLUE GREEN RED

43. Complementary Colors and Color
Subtraction
-the color of the light absorbed by a pigment is the complementary
Color of that pigment
PIGMENT ABSORBS
BLUE YELLOW ( RED & GREEN )
YELLOW ( RED & GREEN ) BLUE
GREEN MAGENTA (BLUE & RED)
MAGENTA (BLUE & RED) GREEN
RED CYAN (GREEN + BLUE)
CYAN (GREEN + BLUE) RED