Newton: color depends on “imagination and fantasy and invention.”

Response per intensity unit Vector nature of color: “Spectral” (rainbow) colors are those perceived from light of narrow band of , 

Color information is determined by the relative stimuli to three cone cells. [S , S , S  ]. Orange “color”: [S , S , S  ] = Your eye perceives this color for narrow-band 600 nm light. Vector nature of color: Infinite number of other spectra give the “orange” stimulus ratios. Which approx combination of 550 nm and 650 nm light intensities will give the same as 600 nm pure light? 550 to 650 ______ a)1:1 b) 1:2 c) 2: 1 d) 1:6 e) 6: 1

Vector nature of color: Explain why brown e.g. [4, 2, 1] can’t be in the rainbow Can you come up with a stimulus ratio [S , S , S  ] that isn’t a color (no combination of light can make this ratio in our eyes)? e.g [0, 1, 0].

Slide 6 COLOR SYSTEMS Additive: dashed lines Subtractive: solid lines

Additive coloring : (light emission, screens, projection) Can create any color by superimposing three primary colors with varying intensities. Requirements for primary spectral colors?

A color model is a way to quantify colors using standards

The brain can distinguish between about 10 million colors. How many colors are there in this color model? What is white in this RGB model? gray? black? =2 24 =10 8

2-D representation: A color’s complement is… ______________________________

One color system (HSV) Hue: basic “color”: from differences in R, G, B Value (brightness) based on context Saturation: degree differences stand out above “white” Hue: Yellow Yellow, fully saturated: (R,G,B) = Yellow, less saturated (pastel): (R,G,B) = Yellow, less bright: (R,G,B) = Play online

Rayleigh scattering occurs when particle size << (air molecules) This scattering is most efficient at ________ frequencies or _________ wavelengths! Blue sky

Why is it often “pastel” (unsaturated) blue? Why is it deeper blue higher up?

Why are sunsets red and orange?

Sky seen through polarizer Bees have polarized eyes for navigation

Mie scattering: Why do so many things look white? Salt When any non absorbing material (glass, water, salt) is broken into pieces of size > they scatter all wavelengths equally,

Scattering of E/M waves by a polarizable sphere vs freq Rayleigh scattering Mie scattering Resonant Mie scattering d = d = 10

Paper fibers

Tobacco smoke is bluish, yet when he blows it out, it’s white. What’s happened?

hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/vision/colviscon.html#c1 Subtractive coloring uses dyes, inks, and pigments to absorb some wavelengths of light and not others CMY

Subtractive coloring paint: white-scattering spheres (TiO 2 ) mixed with absorbing pigments colored paper, and fabric: white-scattering fibers coated with absorbing dyes.

“Reflection” vs transmission, scattering : You write with red ink on white paper, and now the paper looks red. This is because the red ink itself is good at a)scattering red light b)transmitting red light c)reflecting red light For a physicist, “reflection” is “specular” at a smooth interface between two materials. “Scattering” is what puts rays out at random angles from small objects.

Remember this? In a glass that absorbs green light the index, real index n is probably greatest for ______ light. a)red b)yellow c)green d)blue e)violet Reflection colors are different from transmission colors

What color(s) do the surfaces of these red plastic objects reflect? What color(s) does the one on the right scatter?

From an optics perspective, what’s the biggest difference between what’s inside the two red plastics?

Irridenscence in nature

Interference/diffraction (“structural”) colors in nature: iridescence

Opals are natural 3-d diffraction gratings or “photonic crystals”

What’s missing in the albino peacock?

Opals

Photonic Crystals: 3-D diffraction grating

Nocturnal animals have layer of cells behind retina with multilayer mirrors that reflect unabsorbed light back through it!

Cameleon

Change colors for camouflage, mood 1.Outer layer: cells that can concentrate red or yellow pigment in center (cells almost clear), or spread them over cell (colored) 2.Middle layer: sacks of photonic crystal plates, reflecting blue 3.Inner layer: cells that can concentrate melanin (black) in center (cells almost clear), or spread them over cell (black) Only 1 and 3 controlled by nerves?

Chromatophore organ

Iridophores (photonic crystals) and chromatophores (pigment organs)

Latest Chameleon colours 'switched by crystals' - Chameleon colours 'switched by crystals' - ience-environment ience-environment