Explore the Color Vision: How We See Colour
Mix red, green and blue flashlights or choose one wavelength and see how your three cone types respond. Free, no signup, runs in your browser.
- Free to use
- No signup
- Nothing to install
- Runs in your browser
Illustration. Open the tool for the real thing.
See it in action
The Color Vision: How We See Colour with sample data entered and the result showing.
What is the Color Vision: How We See Colour?
Mix red, green and blue flashlights or choose one wavelength and see how your three cone types respond. It runs in your browser, so a change to a setting or a drag on an object shows up at once.
Screens, cameras, printers and colour-blindness tests all rely on how cones respond.
3 steps to your result
Open the tool and follow along. Nothing to install.
What you get
Your eye has three types of cone cells.
Colours are made by mixing the three signals.
Red + green light looks yellow.
Make yellow from red and green.
Make white light.
Switch to a single wavelength at 580 nm.
Used for
Pick one to see how it fits.
Physics learners
Physics students in middle school, high school and first-year university, teachers who want a quick demonstration for the projector, and anyone revising for exams.
Try it freeTeachers
For teachers: project the Color Vision: How We See Colour on the board, let students predict the result, then run it together and test this: Make white light. For students: change one thing at a time and write down what changes.
Try it freeHow it compares
A plain look at this tool next to the usual alternative.
| This simulation | Textbook diagram | |
|---|---|---|
| Interactive | Drag, tap and change settings | Fixed picture |
| Install | Nothing to install | Not needed |
| Cost | Free to use | Depends on the book |
Questions people ask
How do we see colour?
Three types of cone cells respond differently to wavelengths, and the brain combines their signals.
Why does red plus green look yellow?
It stimulates the red and green cones the same way as a single yellow wavelength.
Is the Color Vision: How We See Colour free to use?
Yes. The Color Vision: How We See Colour is free, needs no signup or download and runs in your web browser. It is part of the Physics group of AZRS simulations.
Does the Color Vision: How We See Colour work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. The Color Vision: How We See Colour takes touch input as well as mouse input, so you can use its 5 adjustable settings with a finger. A larger screen makes the controls and graphs easier to read.
How do I use the Color Vision: How We See Colour?
1. In the Color Vision: How We See Colour, use the controls to change Light source, Red flashlight, Green flashlight, Blue flashlight, Wavelength. The simulation reacts instantly. 2. In the Color Vision: How We See Colour, pick an option such as RGB flashlights, One wavelength to switch modes or load an example. 3. Start with this experiment: Make yellow from red and green. Drag any glowing handle, object or slider with your mouse or finger and the Color Vision: How We See Colour responds in real time. 4. Change one setting at a time and watch which readout moves, then compare it with this idea: Your eye has three types of cone cells.
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Try the Color Vision: How We See Colour now
Mix red, green and blue flashlights or choose one wavelength and see how your three cone. Free to use.
Try it free