Archived Why can humans detect more colours in red-yellow gradient than in magenta-red gradient? (AskScience)
submitted ago by profanion
Posted by: profanion
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Archived Why can humans detect more colours in red-yellow gradient than in magenta-red gradient? (AskScience)
submitted ago by profanion
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[–] OneTrueCube 0 points 4 points 4 points (+4|-0) ago (edited ago)
Just did some homework. Magenta is an interesting color - it doesn't actually exist in the visible spectrum, but is a product of the brain.
Basically, magenta is equal parts blue and red without any green. Yellow is an altogether different color, so it makes sense that there would be less delineation between magenta and red, than yellow and red.
Edit - to further reinforce that it's more an effect of the brain, magenta's wavelength parks around 500-530 nanometers. Yellow sits at 570-590, and red is at 620-750. You'd think that because magenta is "further" away from red, there'd be more difference. But since magenta is made by having equal parts red and blue, I guess you could say that it's already halfway red.