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Home Minds On Light Waves and Colors Mission LC3 Primary Colors of Light Help Help 1

Mission LC3 Primary Colors of Light

The Question

The three primary colors of light are ____.

Physics Rules

Primary Colors of Light:
Any three colors (or frequencies) of light that produce white light when combined with the correct intensity are called primary colors of light. The most common set of primary colors is red (R), green (G) and blue (B). White (W) light is produced when red, green and blue light are mixed or added together with equal intensity.

Don't be Fooled

Many students of physics suffer a little mental anguish when hearing from their physics teacher what the three primary colors of light are. After all, it doesn't seem to be consistent with what their fifth grade art teacher said. But don't be fooled! Art teachers use paint and speak of the three primary colors of paint. Physics teachers on the other hand are discussing the three primary colors of light. Both teachers are correct; they are just talking about two different topics - paints and light.

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