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Grey

physical science Maturity 5-7 Next article →

Grey is a color that sits between black and white. It is known as a neutral or achromatic color. This means it has no chroma, which is a way of saying it has no color tint.

grays
grays

You can see this color in many places, like ash, lead, or storm clouds.

Storm Clouds towards Clare island - geograph.org.uk - 1032378
Storm Clouds towards Clare island - geograph.org.uk - 1032378

People use two different spellings for this color. In America, the spelling "gray" is more common. In Europe and other Commonwealth countries, people usually write "grey." Both ways are actually correct to use.

In nature, the way clouds look depends on how thick they are. Small, fluffy white clouds scatter sunlight toward your eyes. When clouds grow much larger and thicker, the light cannot pass through them easily. Instead, the light reflects off the very top of the cloud. This makes the clouds look dark grey from the ground.

Storm Clouds towards Clare island - geograph.org.uk - 1032378
Storm Clouds towards Clare island - geograph.org.uk - 1032378

During a thunderstorm, clouds can reach heights of 20,000 to 30,000 feet. These very thick clouds look very dark from below. However, if you look down from an airplane, they still look white.

Artists have used grey in many interesting ways throughout history. In the past, grey was the color of undyed wool. Because of this, it was often worn by poor people and peasants. Some religious groups, like the Cistercian monks, wore grey to show humility.

Princess Isabel and Leopoldina 1855 frame removed
Princess Isabel and Leopoldina 1855 frame removed

During the Renaissance, artists used a technique called grisaille. They would first paint a picture using only grey and white. This provided the shading for the painting. Then, they added thin layers of color on top. The famous painter Rembrandt used special mixes to create his own warm greys.

Grey also changes in our own bodies as we get older. Our hair gets its color from a pigment called melanin. This pigment is found in the core of every hair. Specialized cells called melanocytes inject this melanin into the hair as it grows. Eventually, the amount of melanin injected begins to reduce or stop.

grays
grays

When there is no pigment left, the hair turns grey or white. This happens because of age or genetic factors. For many Caucasians, about 50 percent are 50 percent grey by age 50. Some adult male gorillas even grow silver hair on their backs.

Today, we see grey on our digital screens and in our printers. On a computer or phone, the RGB color model creates grey. This model uses red, green, and blue light. When these lights are at the same intensity, they make grey. In printing, the CMYK color model is used instead. This uses cyan, magenta, yellow, and black ink. Printers can make grey by using black ink at a lower density. They can also mix the other colors in specific ways to make different shades.

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🖼️ Images & Media (4)
File:Princess Isabel and Leopoldina 1855 frame removed.png
Princess Isabel and Leopoldina 1855 frame...
File:Storm Clouds towards Clare island - geograph.org.uk - 1032378.jpg
Storm Clouds towards Clare island -...
File:grays.svg
grays.svg
File:Utinkatu Tornionmäki 001.jpg
Utinkatu Tornionmäki 001.jpg
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