PhET Teacher Ideas and Activities: Color Vision (or Seeing Colors)

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This item is a problem set developed specifically for use with the PhET simulation "Color Vision". It focuses students on the fundamentals of color addition and subtraction as it guides them in the use of the simulation. It is designed to help users differentiate the primary colors of light from the primary colors of pigmented paint (which are different). It is appropriate for use in grades 6-12. SEE RELATED ITEMS on this page for a link to the simulation "Color Vision".

This resource is part of a large and growing collection designed using principles from physics education research and refined based on student interviews.

Please note that this resource requires Java.

Additional context for this material is provided by the ComPADRE-SERC Pedagogic Service.

https://phet.colorado.edu/en/activities/3050

Subjects	Levels	Resource Types
Optics - Color = Synthesis and Analysis of Color - The Eye	- High School - Middle School	- Instructional Material = Activity = Interactive Simulation = Problem/Problem Set - Assessment Material - Audio/Visual = Movie/Animation

Intended Users	Formats	Ratings
- Learners	- application/java	Currently 0.0/5 Want to rate this material? Login here!

Access Rights:: Free access
Restriction:: © 2008 PHET and University of Colorado
Additional information is available.
SERCs:: Link to Material; Link to Material
Keywords:: additive colors, color, filter, light, monochromatic beam, primary colors, subtractive colors, vision
Record Cloner:: Metadata instance created May 27, 2009 by Caroline Hall
Record Updated:: February 22, 2025 by Lyle Barbato
Last Update when Cataloged:: March 31, 2008
Other Collections:: The Physics Front

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Record Link

<a href="https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=9010">PhET. PhET Teacher Ideas and Activities: Color Vision (or Seeing Colors). Boulder: PhET, March 31, 2008.</a>

AIP Format

, Version 1.0 (PhET, Boulder, 2008), WWW Document, (https://phet.colorado.edu/en/activities/3050).

AJP/PRST-PER

PhET Teacher Ideas and Activities: Color Vision (or Seeing Colors), Version 1.0 (PhET, Boulder, 2008), <https://phet.colorado.edu/en/activities/3050>.

APA Format

PhET Teacher Ideas and Activities: Color Vision (or Seeing Colors). (2008, March 31). Retrieved May 1, 2025, from PhET: https://phet.colorado.edu/en/activities/3050

Chicago Format

PhET. PhET Teacher Ideas and Activities: Color Vision (or Seeing Colors). Boulder: PhET, March 31, 2008. https://phet.colorado.edu/en/activities/3050 (accessed 1 May 2025).

MLA Format

PhET Teacher Ideas and Activities: Color Vision (or Seeing Colors). Vers. 1.0. Boulder: PhET, 2008. 31 Mar. 2008. 1 May 2025 <https://phet.colorado.edu/en/activities/3050>.

BibTeX Export Format

@misc{ Title = {PhET Teacher Ideas and Activities: Color Vision (or Seeing Colors)}, Publisher = {PhET}, Volume = {2025}, Number = {1 May 2025}, Month = {March 31, 2008}, Year = {2008} }

Refer Export Format

%T PhET Teacher Ideas and Activities: Color Vision (or Seeing Colors) %D March 31, 2008 %I PhET %C Boulder %U https://phet.colorado.edu/en/activities/3050 %O 1.0 %O application/java

EndNote Export Format

%0 Electronic Source %D March 31, 2008 %T PhET Teacher Ideas and Activities: Color Vision (or Seeing Colors) %I PhET %V 2025 %N 1 May 2025 %7 1.0 %8 March 31, 2008 %9 application/java %U https://phet.colorado.edu/en/activities/3050

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Citation Source Information

The AIP Style presented is based on information from the AIP Style Manual.

The APA Style presented is based on information from APA Style.org: Electronic References.

The Chicago Style presented is based on information from Examples of Chicago-Style Documentation.

The MLA Style presented is based on information from the MLA FAQ.

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PhET Teacher Ideas and Activities: Color Vision (or Seeing Colors):

Accompanies PhET Simulation: Color Vision

This is the simulation which this problem set was designed to accompany.

relation by Caroline Hall

Covers the Same Topic As PhET Teacher Ideas and Activities: Introduction to Light & Color

An additional and somewhat more complex problem set on Color Vision, also developed by the PhET project team. Students do further exploration of the primary colors of light and examine effects of filters on monochromatic light sources.

relation by Caroline Hall

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