Combining Red, Green & Blue Light
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This diagram explains what happens when red, green and blue primary colours are projected onto a dark surface so that they overlap.
What you need to remember:
- Mixing different wavelengths of light to produce other colours, is called an additive colour model or an additive approach to colour.
- Red, green and blue (RGB) are additive primary colours. This means that when these wavelengths of light are projected onto a dark surface they combined to produce other colours.
- If wavelengths of light corresponding with all three additive primary colours are projected in equal amounts onto a dark surface the result is white.
- If wavelengths of light corresponding with all three additive primary colours are projected in unequal amounts onto a dark surface many thousands of colours can be produced.
- Secondary colours are the colours produced when pairs of primary colours are combined in equal or unequal proportions.
Understanding the diagram:
- Three circles of light are projected onto a dark surface. These are the additive primary colours – red, green and blue.
- Where the primary colours overlap they produce the secondary colours – yellow, magenta and cyan.
- Where all three primary colours overlap they produce white.
- The bottom of the diagram shows which primary colours are mixed in pairs to produce each secondary colour.
Description
Combining Red, Green & Blue Light
TRY SOME QUICK QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS TO GET STARTED
Yes! The primary colours red, green and blue are used to produce secondary colours when using the RGB and HSB colour models.
No! Red, green and blue are primary colours within additive colour models and can only be produced by a single wavelength of light.
Additive primary colours are three wavelengths of light that produce white when combined together in equal proportions.
Red and green are the two primary colours of light that together make yellow.
About the diagram
About the diagram
- This diagram explains what happens when red, green and blue primary colours are projected onto a dark surface so that they overlap.
What you need to remember
- Mixing different wavelengths of light to produce other colours, is called an additive colour model or an additive approach to colour.
- Red, green and blue (RGB) are additive primary colours. This means that when these wavelengths of light are projected onto a dark surface they combined to produce other colours.
- If wavelengths of light corresponding with all three additive primary colours are projected in equal amounts onto a dark surface the result is white.
- If wavelengths of light corresponding with all three additive primary colours are projected in unequal amounts onto a dark surface many thousands of colours can be produced.
- Secondary colours are the colours produced when pairs of primary colours are combined in equal or unequal proportions.
Understanding the diagram
- Three circles of light are projected onto a dark surface. These are the additive primary colours – red, green and blue.
- Where the primary colours overlap they produce the secondary colours – yellow, magenta and cyan.
- Where all three primary colours overlap they produce white.
- The bottom of the diagram shows which primary colours are mixed in pairs to produce each secondary colour.
Spectral and RGB colours
- Spectral colour should not be confused with RGB colour.
- Spectral colours are components of the visible spectrum.
- RGB colours are produced by mixing wavelengths of light corresponding with the three additive primary colours, red, green and blue.
- A diagram of spectral colour is usually presented in the form of a continuous linear spectrum organised by wavelength, so with red at one end and violet at the other.
- A diagram of RGB colour is often represented in the form of a colour wheel and shows the colours produced by mixing adjacent colours on the wheel.
Some key terms
White light
White light is the name given to visible light that contains all wavelengths of the visible spectrum at equal intensities ...
Electromagnetic spectrum
The electromagnetic spectrum includes electromagnetic waves with all possible wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation, ranging from low energy radio waves through ...
Visible spectrum
The visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum is called the visible spectrum. The visible spectrum is the range of wavelengths ...
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