Skip to Content Go to sign in Skip to Primary Navigation Skip to Secondary Navigation Skip to Page Navigation Skip to Header Navigation Skip to Footer Navigation Read more about accessability options and our navigation

Physics Classroom is making strides to make our site accessible to everyone. Our site contains 6 navigation areas. The Primary, Secondary, and Page Level navigations have a screen reader version of their nav structure that allows using the left and right keys to navigate sibling navigation items, and up or down keys to navigate parent or child navigation items. The others can be navigated using tabs. The Primary Navigation handles the first 2 levels of site pages. The Secondary (which is not always available) handles the 3rd and 4th level of structure. The Page level navigation allows you to navigate the current page's headings quickly. The Header Navigation contains the Light/Dark Mode toggle, Search, Notifications and account login. The Breadcrumb Navigation contains the breadcrumb of the current page. If the current page has a breadcrumb, you can get to it by skipping to the content and tabbing in reverse (shift plus tab). The Footer Navigation contains links such as Privacy, Contact, about and terms. Some resources contain an Audio Player that can be activated by holding down the T key for 3 seconds, and then using K to pause and resume. While not every area of Physics Classroom is usable purely from keyboard and screen reader, we are committed to continue work on making this possible. If you have questions or need additional help, please use this link to contact us.

Return to screen reader navigation
Home Interactives Light Waves and Colors RGB Color Addition Notes

RGB Color Addition Notes

Notes:

The RGB Color Addition Interactive is an adjustable-size file that displays nicely on smart phones, on tablets such as the iPad, on Chromebooks, and on laptops and desktops. The size of the Interactive can be scaled to fit the device that it is displayed on. The compatibility with smart phones, iPads, other tablets, and Chromebooks make it a perfect tool for use in a 1:1 classroom.

This Interactive does use a newer technology known as WebGL. WebGL is a JavaScript-based technology that is built into most modern browsers on mobile devices as well as desktop/laptop browsers. Older browsers may not be WebGL compliant or may not offer it as a standard feature but allow it to be enabled by the user of the device. For instance, the Safari browser has an Enable WebGL option in its Develop menu. Without enabling WebGL, the use of WebGL JavaScript code is not functional and would not work in such browsers. We expect that future browsers will all be WebGL-compliant and we have thus used this technology for the creation of this Interactive. Additional information about WebGL can be found on Wikipedia.

Teaching Ideas and Suggestions:

This Interactive is one of several Interactives in this section that pertain to the topic of color addition, color subtraction, filters, and color vision. We suggest that this Interactive be used early in a unit on the topic of the physics of color vision. Simple rules regarding the mixing of two or three primary colors of light in equal intensities can be discovered through the use of this Interactive. Mixing of primary colors of light in unequal intensities can also be explored with this Interactive.

The Interactive focuses on the result of mixing red-, green-, and blue-colored lights on a screen. Learners can adjust the intensity of the three lights and observe the result. There is also the option of viewing a colored screen image in terms of its R-G-B components. Learners will also enjoy uploading an image of their own from their device and viewing its RGB characteristics. The Interactive excels at illustrating the results of mixing two or more primary colors of light in equal and in unequal intensities.



Our RGB Color Addition simulation is now available with a Concept Checker. Do the simulation. Then follow it up with the Concept Checker.

Related Resources:

There are numerous resources at The Physics Classroom website that serve as very complementary supports for the RGB Color Addition Interactive. These include:
  • Minds On Physics Internet Modules:
    The Minds On Physics Internet Modules include a collection of interactive questioning modules that help learners assess their understanding of physics concepts and solidify those understandings by answering questions that require higher-order thinking. Assignments LC3 and LC4 of the Light and Color module provide great complements to this Interactive. They are best used in the middle to later stages of the learning cycle. Visit the Minds On Physics Internet Modules.

     
  • Curriculum/Practice: Several Concept Development worksheets at the Curriculum Corner will be very useful in assisting students in cultivating their understanding of color vision, most notably ...

    Reflection, Transmision, and Color
    Color Addition and Subtraction
    Viewed in Another Light
    Pigments and Paints
    Shadows

    Visit the Curriculum Corner.

     
  • Labwork:
    Simulations should always support (never supplant) hands-on learning. The Laboratory section of The Physics Classroom website includes several hands-on ideas that complement this Interactive. Four notable lab ideas include ...

    Color Addition Lab
    Taking Away from RGB Lab
    Painting with CMY Lab
    Filtering Away Lab

    Visit The Laboratory.

Additional resources and ideas for incorporating the RGB Color Addition into an instructional unit on Light and Color can be found at the Teacher Toolkits section of The Physics Classroom website. Visit Teacher Toolkits.

Visit: RGB Color Addition Interactive