Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) Practice Exam

What color mixing method involves red, green, and blue light?

1. Subtractive

2. Chromatic

3. Complementary

4. Additive

The correct answer is: Additive

The color mixing method that involves red, green, and blue light is additive color mixing. In this method, colors are created by combining light in various intensities. When red, green, and blue lights are mixed together in different combinations, they produce other colors. For example, combining red and green light creates yellow, green and blue make cyan, and red and blue yield magenta. When all three colors of light are combined at full intensity, they create white light. This is the basis for many applications, including computer screens and televisions, where pixels are made up of varying combinations of these three primary colors to create a full spectrum of colors. The additive method is distinct from subtractive color mixing, which involves the absorption of certain wavelengths and is commonly used in printing processes, where colors are created by subtracting varying wavelengths from white light. The choice of additive reflects the primary use of light sources and technologies that rely on illuminating objects rather than reflecting off of them.