Color and Light – Fall 2022

Institution: Diablo Valley College

Course: PHYS – 120 General College Physics 1
Instructor: Crowder Kurt
Author: Chris Cana
Lecture note: Color and light

Introduction
How do we see color? What enables visual perspective? Most people wonder how they
experience different color shades. The exploration of color and light requires one to
understand the concept of waves. Waves have the high and low volts that make up a
wavelength. “The length of the wave determines its energy for instance, a long wave
has a low energy or frequency, while a short wave has high energy” (Riley, 138).

The visible rainbow colors are therefore wavelengths of different magnitudes. The sun
emits/radiates some waves within the visible wave-range and the human eye interprets
this range as colors of the rainbow. According to Riley, the wavelength is the distance
between the chests of one wave to the other and is denoted by the Greek symbol
‘Lambda’, ‘λ’ (138). The colors are known as visible spectrum of colors namely red,
orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Therefore, the light’s wavelength
gradually increases from violet to red.

Theory of Light and Color

History in the physics lesson indicates that Isaac Newton was the inventor of light since
1672; he applied the logic of a prism to discover that the prism could split the sunlight to
various colors often referred to as colors of the rainbow. This arrangement of colors was
due to difference of the light wavelength (Shapiro, 287).

The signature used to identify color is therefore its wavelength, measured in nanometer
(nm). Later, James Clerk Maxwell advanced Isaac Newton’s discovery by proving that
light is a form of electromagnetic emission that contains waves of different magnitudes,
mainly the visible light, the radio waves and the X-rays waves (Shapiro, 287).

Considering that light is an electromagnetic wave, then color exists as part of this
wavelength. Human sense of sight enables them to discover color in the light wave. In
line with Gurney, the violet color has the shortest wavelength within the visible light
while red has the longest (37).

According to Gurney, the definition of visible light can therefore be “the range of
wavelengths within the electromagnetic spectrum that the eye responds to” (37).
However, the human eye fails to respond to the radiation of longer and shorter
wavelengths than the visible light segments.

Measuring light wave

“The units for measuring the distance in a metric scale is nanometer abbreviated as nm,
which is a very small scales since it is equivalent to one millionths of a meter (1 nm =
10-9 m)” (Gibson, 17). The resolution of one nanometer is therefore too minute for clear
visibility in an optical microscope.

The micron (µm) is equivalent to 1000 nm and therefore can be resolved on the microscope.
Measuring the wavelength in microns makes it to become visible, but in comparison to other
objects such as thickness of human hair or paper, the wave is very minute. These objects are
hundreds microns bigger than the visible light wave (Gibson, 17).

Formation of colors
Light is an electromagnetic spectrum that is easily detectable through naked eye. It is a
mixture of various colors split into different lengths depending on their wavelength
differences. According to Dixon and Smith, the human eye can see a wavelength of
approximately 400-700 nm (9).

The light wave is absorbed, transmitted or reflected. Any of these actions depend on the
surfaces since the surface gives the wave its required color range. If all the colors of the
wavelength hit a surface and gets absorbed, then that surface is black, denoting that no
light is reflected.
The white light for instance the sunlight is a combination of various colors, and when it
falls on an object, the object absorbs all wavelengths that interact with its molecules or
electrons and reflects a certain wavelengths to the observer’s eye (Shapiro, 287). In line
with Shapiro, the dull object will absorb white light while the bright objects reflect (287).
The color of an object is therefore determined by the specific wavelength of light that the
object absorbs.

For instance, an object that absorbs the red wavelength of the white light and reflects all
the other lengths is seen as green. An object may appear red because it has absorbed
the red color and reflected all the remaining wavelengths, this is due to the reason that
the two colors complement each other in a similar manner as the orange does to blue or
yellow to violet. Contrary, the transparent objects transmit white light. The diagram
below illustrates the reflection light on a blue surface.

Measure of wavelengths
Different wavelengths are compared to a standard measure known as the
electromagnetic spectrum. “The infrared and radio waves are often on the extensive
wavelengths, thus on the long side of the electromagnetic spectrum, while the
wavelength of the x-rays, gamma rays, and ultraviolet (UV) light are short wavelengths
thus falling on the short side” Dixon and Smith (30). According to Dixon and Smith, the
wavelengths with shorter than 400nm are not visible to the naked human eye (30).
Human beings can therefore not sense wavelengths of measures greater than seven
hundred nm. The white light is made of various protons that differ depending on the
color they represent due to energy differences. These protons create various pulsating
turbulence on the wavelength, which determines the color of an object ranging from red
to violet. The diagram below illustrates the light wave spectrum.

Perception of Color
The definition of colour is consequently the spectrum of energy that enters the human
eyes. Human eyes have cells called rods and cones on the retina that absorb light and
assist in distinguishing between various colors (Dixon and Smith, 30). The rods assist in
diffusing light and therefore support in sensing differences of reflections and in
determining differences in light intensity. In dim lighting people perceive colored objects
as grey shades, therefore the retina has three sets of cones, which are all good
receptors of light.

The color of an object depends on the light wave sent to the eye from all the possible
variations of colors in the sunlight. Every human being sees different variations of
colors, thus different shades due to uniqueness of the cells, mainly the rods and cones.
The color pigments are different from light waves since they are made of various colors.

Pigments are made of mainly three primary colors; red, blue and yellow, three
secondary colors; violet, orange and green and six tertiary colors made by mixing a
primary and a secondary color. The pigments are materials that either let colors to pass
through or absorb them (Gurney, 38).

On the other hand, the primary light colors are blue, red and green and secondary light
colors are magenta, cyan and yellow. Mixing of light colors causes formation of an
additive that eventually leads to formation of white light. The splitting of light can also be
addressed as a subtractive procedure since some of the light wavelengths are absorbed
and the only visible wavelengths are those that are carefully given off during the
process. The three color codes of the white light enhance perception of other colors
(Gurney, 38).

The color
Color is made of three main factors namely hue, luminance and saturation. Type of
color depends on these three factors for instance, hue is the shade of a color and
saturation is the pureness of the hue. Luminance is the description given when defining
a color as either light or dark.

People who have difficulties of perceiving the red and green pigments suffer from a
problem associable to color blindness since they lack the red and green color pigments.
According to Gurney, the difficulties of making out the green to red ratio are a defect
mainly associable to X-chromosomes and therefore affect men more than women (139).

Conclusion
Some colors have negative effects for instance those on a bright light waves that reflect
more light. They may cause eye irritation or cause headaches for instance the bright
yellows on surfaces or on computer washouts. The bright colors are thus able to reflect
more light waves into the eye and cause irritation or straining.

The bright colors are thus used to attract people attention for instance on posters of
road signs. Colors also influence moods, for instance the blue color can rein in the
appetite for food since food do not naturally exist in blue. There are colors that comfort
the sense of sight for instance green, which is known to sooth and comfort. The color
may therefore be perfect for a work scenario to curb possible work-related signs of
fatigue.