NAME: KRISTEL ANN A.

LAUDE

EXPLORE

To further explore this topic, a simulation from PhET Interactive Simulations, entitled “Color
Vision” may be incorporated so that you can easily visualize the additive color mixing of light.
But before you proceed to this activity, please ensure
that you have downloaded a Java, a computer
software that allows you to play the simulations in
PhET.
Click the link below to download a free version of the
PhET Interactive Simulations is an open
Java Software: educational resource project funded in
https://www.java.com/en/download/ 2002 by Carl Wieman. It is a project at
the University of Colorado Boulder that
designs, develops, and releases free
interactive simulations in the fields of
Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Earth
Science, and Mathematics.

The following are screenshots from the Color Vision PhET simulation. On the right side of the
pictures, there are three buttons corresponding the red, green, and blue light. While on the left
side, there is a person and an oval showing what color does the person perceive.
TASK 1: On the first picture below, what can you observe on the positions of the three buttons
and on the perceived color of the person? As you can see, all the buttons are switched off,
meaning there are no colored beams of light coming from the flashlight. What color is
perceived by the person? It is pitch black. Black is the absence of light, and therefore, the
absence of color. By principle in Physics, black is not defined as a color but the absence of light.

TASK 2: On the other hand, when all the buttons are switched on, beams of light are coming
from the flashlight. What now is being perceived by the person? The combination of red light,
green light, and blue light is white light. Hence, white is the presence of all wavelengths of
colored light. It is important to note that, in the visual arts world, white and black may
sometimes be defined as distinct colors. However, this is different from the concept of spectral
color in Physics.
Now, look at the three succeeding pictures below. Can you compare the combinations of
switched on and switched off lights on the perceived color of the person? Fill out the summary
table and give a brief explanation of your observations.

A B

RED LIGHT GREENLIGHT BLUE LIGHT PERCEIVED

PICTURE
(on/off) (on/off) (on/off) COLOR

A ON ON OFF YELLOW

B ON OFF ON MAGENTA

C OFF ON ON CYAN

SUMMARY TABLE FOR THE PhET SIMULATION – COLOR VISION

BRIEF EXPLANATION:
When red light is on and green light is on, while blue light is off, the perceived color is yellow.
This occurs because the combination of red and green light stimulates the eye's cones
responsible for perceiving these colors, creating the sensation of yellow.
When red light is on, green light is off, and blue light is on, the perceived color is magenta. This
is due to the combination of red and blue light, stimulating different cones in the eye, resulting
in the brain perceiving the color as magenta.
Finally, when red light is off, green light is on, and blue light is on, the perceived color is cyan.
This happens because the mixture of green and blue light activates the eye's cones sensitive to
those colors, leading to the brain interpreting the combination as cyan.
These combinations showcase how different combinations of red, green, and blue light can
create various perceived colors through additive color mixing. This activity mimics the process
of color perception seen in screens or light-based systems such as TVs and computer monitors.