• Question: May you explain how we see colours? C:

    • Keywords:
      • Click on a keyword to find out more on the RSC site:
      Asked by ALOrona to John, Laura, Luke, Rob, Ruth on 17 Jun 2016.
      • Photo: Laura Finney

        Laura Finney answered on 17 Jun 2016:


        We see colours when light hits something. If it is coloured e.g. blue, all of the light is absorbed, but the blue light is reflected, and it hits your eye and your eye recognises it is blue due to the wavelength.
        The same is true for all other colours.

        If all the light is reflected it appears white. If all the light is absorbed it looks black!

      • Photo: Robert Williams

        Robert Williams answered on 17 Jun 2016:


        When light form the outside world enters our eyes, it interacts with special proteins in the inside surface of our eyes – known as rhodopsin.
        Rhodopsin is another of natures wonder chemicals as it is very efficient in responding to light.
        Our eyesight is a very complicated action and the brain has a very large portion of its volume set to interpret the signals form the eyes which are transmitted to the brain by the optic nerves.
        The brain has evolved over many millions of years and our sight is – probably – something that develops during our early years.
        It is a fact that young people see objects of the night sky better than older people. But also the skill of stargazing through a telescope develops with practice and experience and we can use a very special part of the eye known as the Yellow Spot to help us see very faint things at night.
        BTW I am an amateur astronomer.
        At night your colour vision turns off and your night vision turns on – this is a hereditary effect from the time of the cavemen and women.
        But it takes about 30 minutes in a completely dark area for your full night vision to become active – at this time Rhodopsin changes so that it responds to brightness and not colour.

    Comments