Additive mixing describes the combination of light reaching the visual system, whereas subtractive mixing concerns selective absorption by materials. This model uses an RGB display's channels as an explanatory approximation. Balanced channels yield a neutral tone within that display space; they do not imply every real red, green and blue lamp has identical power or spectra.
Light, sound and electricity · Discover & try
What happens when coloured lights overlap?
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additive mixing
Combining light contributions.
RGB
Red, green and blue display channels.
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Illustrative additive RGB display; not paint mixing or calibrated lamp spectra.
What to look for
- Pairs make different colours
- Balanced channels give neutral light
- Zero channels leave the screen dark
Explain what you noticed
A stage already has equal red and blue beams. Which added beam makes the centre neutral in this RGB model?
Keep this idea: Mixing light follows different rules from mixing paint.
Follow the sources
- Smithsonian Libraries — The Science of Color
- Smithsonian National Postal Museum — Revealing the Rainbow: Science of Color
Source material checked 2026-10-28. Explanations and activities by Nepedia. Source links do not imply endorsement.
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