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Do pure colors exist?

Published in Color Perception 2 mins read

No, pure colors, as we perceive them, do not exist in the real world. Color is a perception created by our brains based on the wavelengths of light that reach our eyes. While we may talk about "pure" red, yellow, or blue, these are actually combinations of different wavelengths that our brains interpret as a single color.

For example, a "pure" yellow might actually be a mix of wavelengths that fall within the yellow range of the visible light spectrum. This means that the color we see as yellow is actually a combination of various wavelengths, not a single, pure wavelength.

Moreover, the way we perceive color can be influenced by factors like lighting conditions, surrounding colors, and individual differences in our visual systems. So, even if a light source emits a single wavelength of light, the color we perceive might not be entirely "pure" due to these variations.

In essence, the concept of "pure" color is an idealized representation of a color that does not exist in the real world. The colors we see are always a blend of different wavelengths of light, and the "purity" of a color is a subjective perception.

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