Why is mixing primary colors of light an additive process, whereas blending the primary colors
of pigment is a subtractive process?



Answer :

Mixing primary colors of light is an additive process because when you mix different colors of light together, they combine to create new colors by adding wavelengths of light.

Here's why it's additive:
1. Red, green, and blue are the primary colors of light.
2. When you mix these colors of light together, you get secondary colors like yellow, magenta, and cyan.
3. For example, when red light and green light are mixed, they create yellow light because they add together to produce a new color.

On the other hand, blending primary colors of pigment is a subtractive process because mixing pigments subtracts certain colors by absorbing some wavelengths of light and reflecting others.

Here's why it's subtractive:
1. The primary colors of pigment are cyan, magenta, and yellow.
2. When you mix these pigments together, they absorb certain wavelengths of light, subtracting them from the spectrum.
3. For example, mixing cyan and yellow pigments results in green because cyan subtracts red wavelengths and yellow subtracts blue wavelengths, leaving only green light to be reflected.

In summary, mixing primary colors of light is additive because they combine to add wavelengths and create new colors, while blending primary colors of pigment is subtractive because they absorb certain wavelengths, subtracting colors to create new ones.

Other Questions