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COLOUR
Fantastic light show
Colour is the way our eyes see white light, which is made up of waves of varying
lengths. Our eyes pick up three wavelengths: short waves for blue, medium for green
and long for red. These three wavelengths combine to make up all other colours.
The things around us reflect light in different ways. A strawberry reflects long
wavelengths and therefore looks red. Some things reflect all wavelengths and
appear white. Others absorb all light and appear black.
WATCH OUT!
Certain animals’
bright colours act
as warning signals.
The neon green
of a tree frog shows
it’s toxic so other
animals don’t eat
it. A bee’s bright
yellow warns us of
its sting.
It’s estimated
humans
can see
about
10 million
different colours!
DID YOU KNOW?
There are some jobs
you’re not allowed to
hold if you’re colourblind,
such as a pilot
or ship’s captain.
WHY IS THE SEA BLUE?
As we all know water
doesn’t have a colour;
it’s transparent. The
sea is blue because
it reflects the colour
of the sky. This is why
the colour of the sea
changes to grey on
an overcast day.
DID YOU KNOW?
Bees see light in a
broader spectrum than
we can. In ultraviolet
light, which we can’t
see at all, bees see
incredible colours and
patterns on flowers.
That’s how they can
find the pollen and
nectar deep inside.
What do animals see?
Your dog or cat can’t see much colour but they have sharp eyes that can pick up movement from far away. Monkeys, birds and insects have better colour vision. For these animals colour is important because it helps them determine whether fruit is ripe.
Colour-blind
Some people are
colour-blind. This
usually doesn’t mean
they see the world in
black and white; they
simply can’t tell the
difference between
certain colours. The
problem is more
common among men
– one in 12 men is
colour-blind.
- Without red
If the cells of your eyes don’t
pick up long wavelengths
properly you can’t see the
red component of light. For
example, you won’t be able
to see the red component of
the colour violet so this colour
would look more like blue.
- Without green
If your eyes don’t pick up
medium wavelengths
correctly you won’t see the
green component of light.
This can make it difficult to
see the difference between
yellow and orange.
- Without blue
If your eyes aren’t properly
tuned to short wavelengths
you won’t pick up blue.
This is a very rare form
of colour-blindness.
Read: Colour blindness
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