How Does Yellow Exist?
Yellow's existence is a fascinating interplay of light, our eyes, and our brains. It's not as simple as a single, pure wavelength.
- Wavelength: Yellow light sits in the visible spectrum between green and orange, with a dominant wavelength of roughly 575–585 nm. Wikipedia
- Additive Color Mixing: Yellow can be created by mixing red and green light. This is how screens display yellow – they don't actually produce a "pure" yellow wavelength. Nerd Varsity In the visible spectrum, yellow is bookended by green and red. [Source from 09-Jun-2024]
- Monochromatic vs. Mixed Light: Yellow light can be monochromatic (a single wavelength) or a mixture of wavelengths perceived as yellow by our eyes. Physics Stack Exchange
Our Perception of Yellow
- Cone Cells: Our eyes contain cone cells sensitive to red, green, and blue light. The perception of yellow arises from the simultaneous stimulation of red and green cones. Reddit
- Brain Interpretation: Ultimately, the "experience" of yellow is a construction of our brain, interpreting signals from our cone cells. Monday Morning Memo
The "Does Yellow Exist?" Debate
Some argue that since yellow can be created by mixing wavelengths and our perception is a brain interpretation, it doesn't exist in the same way pure spectral colors do. However, the fact remains that we consistently perceive and identify yellow.
