What happens when three colored spotlights - red, green, and blue - with equal intensities are turned on and off to illuminate a shirt with different colors of light? How does the appearance of the shirt change under these spotlights compared to white light?
The scenario described involves three colored spotlights - red, green, and blue - with equal intensities being turned on and off to illuminate a shirt. When the shirt is viewed under white light (A) and under the three colored spotlights with equal intensities (B), the appearance of the shirt changes. This change in appearance provides conclusive evidence about which spotlights are turned on (C) and which spotlights are turned off (D).
Interactions of Colored Light with Objects
When white light illuminates an object, it contains a mixture of all visible colors. Each color in the spectrum has a specific wavelength, and when the object reflects or absorbs light, it interacts differently with each color component. This interaction dictates the perceived color of the object to an observer.
In the case of the shirt being illuminated by the red, green, and blue spotlights, the colored light influences the shirt's appearance. If the shirt looks different under each colored spotlight, it indicates that specific colors are present and are being reflected by the shirt. This observation implies that the (C) spotlights corresponding to the colors matching the appearance of the shirt are turned on.
Conversely, if the shirt does not appear under a particular colored spotlight, it suggests that the corresponding color is absent or not being reflected by the shirt. Therefore, the (D) spotlights corresponding to the colors that do not align with the shirt's appearance are turned off. By contrasting the shirt's appearance under the spotlights with its appearance under white light, we can identify which spotlights are active and which ones are inactive.