{"id":499,"date":"2020-04-17T20:27:30","date_gmt":"2020-04-17T20:27:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/?page_id=499"},"modified":"2026-05-14T07:44:50","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T07:44:50","slug":"color-mixing","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/exhibits\/opticscolor\/color-mixing\/","title":{"rendered":"Additive Color Mixing"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1 style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20)\" class=\"is-style-mini-bar wp-block-post-title\">Additive Color Mixing<\/h1>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull has-base-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignnone is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-b4b75a54 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-constrained has-global-padding wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"273\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/AddColor-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-500\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are three types of color sensitive cells in our retina: red sensitive, green sensitive and blue sensitive. These cells are called cones, and their sensitivities correspond to the colors of three additive primaries Red, Green and Blue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Additive color mixing works for mixing lights. The rules shown below apply to stage lights, computer monitors, projectors, and disco lights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These rules&nbsp;do not apply to mixing paints or pigments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The tree additive primary colors are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"534\" height=\"93\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/RGB.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-501\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/RGB.png 534w, https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/RGB-300x52.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 534px) 100vw, 534px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this computer based physics, you can change the intensity of the additive primary colors to get all the possible color hues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When you mix the three additive primary colors in the same amount, you get the white color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"451\" height=\"92\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/pict1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-502\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/pict1.jpg 451w, https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/pict1-300x61.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 451px) 100vw, 451px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When you mix two of the additive primary colors, you get an additive secondary color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"474\" height=\"92\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/pict2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-503\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/pict2.jpg 474w, https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/pict2-300x58.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"505\" height=\"92\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/pict3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-504\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/pict3.jpg 505w, https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/pict3-300x55.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 505px) 100vw, 505px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"505\" height=\"92\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/pict4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-505\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/pict4.jpg 505w, https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/pict4-300x55.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 505px) 100vw, 505px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yellow, Magenta and Cyan are the additive secondary color. In addition, they are the subtractive primary colors (see subtractive color mixing exhibit).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"184\" height=\"163\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/RGB2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-506\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can get others possibility of colors when you change the relative intensity of the primaries. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"505\" height=\"92\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/pict5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-507\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/pict5.jpg 505w, https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/pict5-300x55.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 505px) 100vw, 505px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"505\" height=\"92\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/pict6.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-508\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/pict6.jpg 505w, https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/pict6-300x55.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 505px) 100vw, 505px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are three types of color sensitive cells in our retina: red sensitive, green sensitive and blue sensitive. These cells are called cones, and their sensitivities correspond to the colors of three additive primaries Red, Green and Blue. Additive color mixing works for mixing lights. The rules shown below apply to stage lights, computer monitors, &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":65,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_uw_migration_status":"complete","_uw_gutenberg_post_content_before_migration":"","_uw_seo_meta_title":"","_uw_seo_meta_description":"","_uw_seo_twitter_card_type":"","_uw_seo_meta_image":"","_uw_seo_meta_image_url":"","_uw_seo_meta_image_sizes":[],"_uw_seo_custom_meta_tags":[],"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-499","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/499","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=499"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/499\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1027,"href":"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/499\/revisions\/1027"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/65"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=499"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}