suppose two beams of white light are shone on a white screen, one beam through a pane of red glass and the other through a pane of green glass. what color appears on the screen wehre the two beams overlap?
To determine the color that appears on the screen where the two beams of white light overlap, we need to understand the concept of color addition and how different colors of light combine.
In this scenario, we have one beam of white light passing through a pane of red glass, and another beam of white light passing through a pane of green glass. When white light passes through a colored filter, it selectively absorbs certain colors of light and transmits only the remaining colors.
Now, let's consider what happens when light passes through the red and green filters separately:
1. Light passes through the red filter: The red glass selectively absorbs all other colors of light except for red. So, the beam of light passing through the red filter will predominantly consist of red light.
2. Light passes through the green filter: The green glass selectively absorbs all other colors of light except for green. Thus, the beam of light passing through the green filter will predominantly consist of green light.
When the two beams of light overlap on the screen:
- The red beam will contribute mostly red light.
- The green beam will contribute mostly green light.
When red and green light mix together at high enough intensities, they create the perception of a new color: yellow. Yellow is produced because red and green light are complementary colors, meaning that when combined, they create a sensation of yellow.
Therefore, the color that appears on the screen where the two beams overlap would be yellow.