Technically, white is not considered a color; it's a shade.
While many perceive white as a color because white light includes all hues on the visible light spectrum, it's more accurately defined as the presence of all colors of light, rather than a color itself. Here's a breakdown to explain:
The Science of Color
Color perception originates from how objects interact with light. When we see an object as "white," it means the object is reflecting all wavelengths of visible light.
- Light and Wavelengths: Visible light is a part of the electromagnetic spectrum, and each color we see corresponds to a different wavelength.
- How Objects Get Their Color: Objects absorb some wavelengths and reflect others. The reflected wavelengths are what we perceive as color. For example, an object that absorbs all wavelengths except those that make up the color "blue" appears blue to us.
Why White is a Shade, Not a Color
Based on the provided reference and the above breakdown:
| Aspect | Color | Shade |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A specific wavelength (or range) of light reflected by an object. | The combination of all colors of light or the absence of light. |
| White as a Shade | Reflects most light. | Not associated with a specific wavelength. |
| Black as a Shade | Absorbs most light. | Not associated with a specific wavelength. |
| How We See It | Perceive through specific light wavelengths. | Perceive through the presence or absence of the total light spectrum. |
| Creating It Through Pigments | Can not be done. | All colors added together for black, no pigment for white. |
- White Light: The presence of all colors of light at once makes "white," not a color but rather a shade. White reflects all colors on the visible spectrum.
- Shades: Black and white are considered shades instead of colors. Black is the absence of reflected light, while white is the presence of all.
Practical Examples
- Printing: When you combine all the pigments you are left with black, similarly the absence of any pigment will be white, further suggesting their status as shades.
- Photography: When a photographer increases the brightness of a photo, the overall tones move towards white. White, therefore, can be looked at as the highest tone in an image.
Conclusion
While in everyday language we use "white" as a color, technically it is considered a shade because of how it relates to light on the spectrum. White light contains all colors, and a white object reflects all the colors of the light spectrum, making it a shade rather than a color in a technical sense.
