Political Correctness Gone Overboard
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 891
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From: Lost some where in the middle of the Ozark Mountains!
Originally Posted by northernnorm
FACT. Black is not a colour. It is the absence of colour.
FACT. White is a colour. It is the presence of all colour.
FACT. White is a colour. It is the presence of all colour.
Originally Posted by 1depd
Actually you have it backwards. White is the absence of color, but the presence of light. Black is the presence of all colors, but the absence of light
Originally Posted by CrAz3D
What color do you get?
If wikipedia is correct then you would get white. Right?
However we know from experince in pre school and kindergarten art class that you actually get black.
How ever, actually... both theories are false.
(black and white are exactly the same color, one is just brighter than the other.)
So what is the real difference?
Read on to find out.
Question - Is it true that black is an absence of color
(technically NOT a color)
and white is a combination of all colors?
(Your answer will help my debate with my wife....)
-----------------------------------------------------
Our eyes react to different shades of light, and what we determine as colors are different wavelengths of light. When we say an object is a certain color, it is because it is reflecting more of a certain wavelength light.
For example red objects reflect "red" light, or light with a longer wavelength (lower frequency) better than other types of light.
So, we determine the color by the primary type of light the object reflects
(or emits if it is a light).
We also perceive other properties of colors, and that is lightness or darkness. A light colored object may reflect one color especially well, but
also reflect other colors as well. A very light green object, for example,
reflects green very well, but also reflects most other colors, just not as
well.
Dark objects tend not to reflect light very well at all, even if it reflects
one color better than the other.
White objects, tend to reflect all types of light equally well, and tend to
reflect most of the light cast on it.
Black objects also, tend to reflect all types of light equally, they just
dont reflect much of the light cast on them.
In computer graphics, we use combinations of just three lights to produce
the colors on a screen, red, green, and blue. We also use different systems
for calculating colors. One of those is hue, saturation, and lightness.
This system is more accurate in describing how we perceive colors. The hue
is what we call color--red, brown, white, etc. The saturation is how much
of the other colors is present, and the lightness is how bright the color
is.
The interesting thing about this system is, white and black have the same
hue and saturation, the lightness is all that is different.
Anyway, what all this boils down to, is the answer to your question simply
depends on how you look at the problem.
On one level, you are right. Black doesn't reflect light, and white
reflects all colors. On the other hand, if you are talking to someone like
me who deals with generating colors on a computer screen, black and white
are exactly the same color, one is just brighter than the other.
I hope this helps your discussion.
Eric Tolman
Computer Scientist
Courtesy of www.newton.dep.anl.gov
(technically NOT a color)
and white is a combination of all colors?
(Your answer will help my debate with my wife....)
-----------------------------------------------------
Our eyes react to different shades of light, and what we determine as colors are different wavelengths of light. When we say an object is a certain color, it is because it is reflecting more of a certain wavelength light.
For example red objects reflect "red" light, or light with a longer wavelength (lower frequency) better than other types of light.
So, we determine the color by the primary type of light the object reflects
(or emits if it is a light).
We also perceive other properties of colors, and that is lightness or darkness. A light colored object may reflect one color especially well, but
also reflect other colors as well. A very light green object, for example,
reflects green very well, but also reflects most other colors, just not as
well.
Dark objects tend not to reflect light very well at all, even if it reflects
one color better than the other.
White objects, tend to reflect all types of light equally well, and tend to
reflect most of the light cast on it.
Black objects also, tend to reflect all types of light equally, they just
dont reflect much of the light cast on them.
In computer graphics, we use combinations of just three lights to produce
the colors on a screen, red, green, and blue. We also use different systems
for calculating colors. One of those is hue, saturation, and lightness.
This system is more accurate in describing how we perceive colors. The hue
is what we call color--red, brown, white, etc. The saturation is how much
of the other colors is present, and the lightness is how bright the color
is.
The interesting thing about this system is, white and black have the same
hue and saturation, the lightness is all that is different.
Anyway, what all this boils down to, is the answer to your question simply
depends on how you look at the problem.
On one level, you are right. Black doesn't reflect light, and white
reflects all colors. On the other hand, if you are talking to someone like
me who deals with generating colors on a computer screen, black and white
are exactly the same color, one is just brighter than the other.
I hope this helps your discussion.
Eric Tolman
Computer Scientist
Courtesy of www.newton.dep.anl.gov
Last edited by PSS-Mag; Mar 22, 2006 at 10:57 PM.
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 691
Likes: 1
From: Gulf Coast
PSS--Interesting.
I found in the same internet enclyopedia posted this:
Results obtained when mixing additive colors are often counterintuitive for people accustomed to the more everyday subtractive color system of pigments, dyes, inks and other substances which present color to the eye by reflection rather than emission.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Additive_color
Bascially it's saying when mixing red, green, and blue lights you will get white. Since white is the presence of the three light wavelengths they combine (additive). If you mix red, green, and blue paint you will get black. The difference is the paint only reflects certain wavelengths so it is absorbing (subtractive) the others. Combining the red, green, and blue paints results in a mixture that absorbs all light wavelengths, so there is no light to see, resulting in black.
I found in the same internet enclyopedia posted this:
Results obtained when mixing additive colors are often counterintuitive for people accustomed to the more everyday subtractive color system of pigments, dyes, inks and other substances which present color to the eye by reflection rather than emission.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Additive_color
Bascially it's saying when mixing red, green, and blue lights you will get white. Since white is the presence of the three light wavelengths they combine (additive). If you mix red, green, and blue paint you will get black. The difference is the paint only reflects certain wavelengths so it is absorbing (subtractive) the others. Combining the red, green, and blue paints results in a mixture that absorbs all light wavelengths, so there is no light to see, resulting in black.
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 891
Likes: 1
From: Lost some where in the middle of the Ozark Mountains!
Originally Posted by 1depd
PSS--Interesting.
I found in the same internet enclyopedia posted this:
Results obtained when mixing additive colors are often counterintuitive for people accustomed to the more everyday subtractive color system of pigments, dyes, inks and other substances which present color to the eye by reflection rather than emission.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Additive_color
Bascially it's saying when mixing red, green, and blue lights you will get white. Since white is the presence of the three light wavelengths they combine (additive). If you mix red, green, and blue paint you will get black. The difference is the paint only reflects certain wavelengths so it is absorbing (subtractive) the others. Combining the red, green, and blue paints results in a mixture that absorbs all light wavelengths, so there is no light to see, resulting in black.
I found in the same internet enclyopedia posted this:
Results obtained when mixing additive colors are often counterintuitive for people accustomed to the more everyday subtractive color system of pigments, dyes, inks and other substances which present color to the eye by reflection rather than emission.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Additive_color
Bascially it's saying when mixing red, green, and blue lights you will get white. Since white is the presence of the three light wavelengths they combine (additive). If you mix red, green, and blue paint you will get black. The difference is the paint only reflects certain wavelengths so it is absorbing (subtractive) the others. Combining the red, green, and blue paints results in a mixture that absorbs all light wavelengths, so there is no light to see, resulting in black.
That is physics not color. A light source can change the hue and saturation we percive. But with different light sources you can make black appear to have a tint to it or white appear to have a tint to it.
I am inclined to ask, since the natural state of the universe is dark, until an ouside souce is entered (IE Sun), so Shouldnt light actully be the absence of dark?
Which brings me to another question;
Is light faster than dark, or is dark faster than light?
Which comes to another; If they are the same speed and dark is the natural state then is Mach 1 actually the speed of dark?
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 691
Likes: 1
From: Gulf Coast
Which brings me to another question;
Is light faster than dark, or is dark faster than light?
Which comes to another; If they are the same speed and dark is the natural state then is Mach 1 actually the speed of dark?
Today 06:53 AM
Is light faster than dark, or is dark faster than light?
Which comes to another; If they are the same speed and dark is the natural state then is Mach 1 actually the speed of dark?
Today 06:53 AM
Senior Member
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 577
Likes: 1
From: Longmont, CO
Originally Posted by jamzwayne
Ok, shoot em in the head, and get it over with. I hope it does offend gay people.