JDMCQ's Garage

^ Bingo!

 

It depends on how you look at it. We see something as white because all of the colors of the spectrum are reflected back to our eyes equally, whereas something is seen as black because no light is reflected back to our eyes.

From somewhere on the web:

...two different ways to mix colors.

Additive colors are when you blend light. White light is the presence of all colors, where black is the absence of any color light, or any light at all. This is what is happening with a prism where you can break apart light into its varoius components. Consider having three spotlights, one each color, red, green and blue. You setup these lights so you can shine them on a white piece of paper. Turn on the blue light and you have a blue spot of light, turn on the other two lights and the light will mix and you have a white spot! Yup, this works, been there and done that.

Additive colors are also how the monitor you are looking at right now works. If you have a magnifying glass you can look at the white areas around these characters and see that it is really a set of red, green and blue pixels. If you want a red spot on the screen the red pixel is turned on. If you want a white spot you turn on all three pixels in the set and the viewer sees a white spot. Any other color can be made by mixing different brightnesses of the three pixels.

Subtractive colors are when a material absorbs colors. This is how pigments like crayons, inks and paints work. A red pigment is a material that absorbs all colors but red, The red light is reflected and the viewer sees red. likewise a blue pigment is a material that absorbs all colors except blue. When you mix pigments you get a material that absorbs more colors and will appear darker than the pigments you mixed. Put enough of the right pigments into something and it will appear to be black as it absorbs all colors. Thus a pigment subtracts colors from the reflected light.

 

Color IS light.....

 

I AM the light

 

and more...

Pigments are chemicals that selectively absorb and reflect different spectra of light. When a surface is painted with a pigment, light hitting the surface is reflected, minus some wavelengths. This subtraction of wavelengths produces the appearance of different colors. Most paints are a blend of several chemical pigments, intended to produce a reflection of a given color.
Pigment manufacturers assume the source light will be white, or of roughly equal intensity across the spectrum. If the light is not a pure white source (as in the case of nearly all forms of artificial lighting), the resulting spectrum will appear a slightly different color. Red paint, viewed under blue light, may appear black. Red paint is red because it reflects only the red components of the spectrum. Blue light, containing none of these, will create no reflection from red paint, creating the appearance of black.

 

hmm... Jesus?

 

Interesting. Thanks guys

 

I guess that was kind of blasphemous.

 

No it's not. color is the interpretation of reflected light. If there is no light, there is no color.

 

Actually it's not...

In the absence of light, what color is it? does it have color at all?

This is like one of those 'if a tree falls with nobody around, does it still make a noise' things...

from up there:
Pigment manufacturers assume the source light will be white, or of roughly equal intensity across the spectrum. If the light is not a pure white source (as in the case of nearly all forms of artificial lighting), the resulting spectrum will appear a slightly different color. Red paint, viewed under blue light, may appear black. Red paint is red because it reflects only the red components of the spectrum. Blue light, containing none of these, will create no reflection from red paint, creating the appearance of black.

 

'tis OK... Jesus won't strike you down...

 

that reminds me of the Sarah Silverman Program when she slept with God...

 

No, but it likely makes you ghey for drinking blue cocktails.

 

After a fine conversation, I guess I'll try to do some homework...

it's kicking my ass...

 

Our office reeks of paint thinner or something. It's making me dizzy and headachey

 

Sure it is, Blaine, sure it is.