Is black a color?

[global-wolf]

A rather simple question on the surface, but different people will give different answers and reasons why. I recently got into a small discussion about this in a chatroom, but it got replaced by another topic quickly before we finished, so I'm bringing it here.

Some common arguments are that black is a color because when you add pigments together they create the color black, and that black is not a color because it is the absence of colors of light. I consider black a color. What one sees as a color is the eye perceiving different wavelengths of light. However, the light itself is not color.

Thoughts?

 

[Aesir]

Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light. Although black is sometimes described as an "achromatic", or hueless, color, in practice it can be considered a color, as in expressions like "black cat" or "black paint".

Click for the link to the article. They cite their sources, kind of a dumb topic.

 

[global-wolf]

I agree with what Wikipedia says. Many people don't though, and Wikipedia itself is a source, not a voice to end all debates.

 

[Zatchiel]

Pretty much summed up. The wavelength for the Visible Light spectrum is "small", about 680-390 nanometers (4.3-7.5 [x10^14]Hz). Any wavelength of light below or above the value set cannot be seen, and is the "color" black. These frequencies are unseen by the human eye, however, many insects are known to see color well within the Ultraviolet spectrum. Black doesn't give off or reflect light; they only absorb light constantly, which is normally key to some greenhouse effects. I don't know about White, though, I'll have to research that one. It was the mix of Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow(?) light palettes.

 

[deepseadiva]

I would think this is mainly semantics.

 

[Aesir]

I agree with what Wikipedia says. Many people don't though, and Wikipedia itself is a source, not a voice to end all debates.

It is when it cites it's sources.

 

[#HBC | Dark Horse]

and when the article is semi-locked.

To put it in perspective: is 0 a number?

 

[global-wolf]

I suppose you have never seen someone saying that black is not a color then.

 

[#HBC | Dark Horse]

not with decent reasoning.

 

[Nicholas1024]

It is when it cites it's sources.

Hardly. Wikipedia articles can be a decent source of information when sources are cited, but if the sources themselves are poor quality, or it doesn't take into account the opposing side's argument, then let's just say its viewpoint will be flawed.

 

[Aesir]

Hardly. Wikipedia articles can be a decent source of information when sources are cited, but if the sources themselves are poor quality, or it doesn't take into account the opposing side's argument, then let's just say its viewpoint will be flawed.

^ We're talking about the colors here not the existence of god or UFO's or anything that might have conflicting views.

Please read something within the context of the thread. Also topic is semi locked which tends to mean there really isn't much discussion anymore.

Just sayin.

 

[Sieguest]

This looks to have turned to a source debate. By Aesir's and DH's logic if I looked up an article as to why black is not a color or something that infers such and it had veritable sources then I should be able to close this debate out, despite the fact that it is contradictory to what their source says.

^Just like what happens in other debates when people properly cite their sources and said sources check out.

That alone should tell you why sources are not an end all voice to everything on the face of the planet. That's pretty much committing an appeal to an authority.

Also DH, your "is zero a number" example is flawed. That's just like me asking "is .09570294 an integer?" just to try and prove a point related to "is infrared" a color?

Something that is truly black will absorb all light. Seeing as how we use light to "see" things, then how do you say "I see black" if technically you can't see anything. You could say we don't see infrared or ultraviolet but there is still light present with these colors. See here. (Pretty veritable sourcing, what say you?)

^ common argument for how black is not a color.


The only problem with the above argument I made is that most naturally occurring things that look black are not truly black, some light is still reflected at you, so the "black" on refers to in everyday terms could be considered a color.

 

[GoldShadow]

For the record, Aesir (and his source!) are correct, but for the sake of argument, let's have a little more food for thought.

The only problem with the above argument I made is that most naturally occurring things that look black are not truly black, some light is still reflected at you, so the "black" on refers to in everyday terms could be considered a color.

What about something that reflects no light? For instance, say you were staring at a black hole (which is so dense, not even light can escape). Would you still consider it "black"?

Pretty much summed up. The wavelength for the Visible Light spectrum is "small", about 680-390 nanometers (4.3-7.5 [x10^14]Hz). Any wavelength of light below or above the value set cannot be seen, and is the "color" black. These frequencies are unseen by the human eye, however, many insects are known to see color well within the Ultraviolet spectrum.

What if we limit the discussion only to wavelengths that the human eye can see, since we're discussing human color vision? Ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths, of course, are invisible to us.

Black doesn't give off or reflect light; they only absorb light constantly, which is normally key to some greenhouse effects. I don't know about White, though, I'll have to research that one. It was the mix of Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow(?) light palettes.

White is the presence of all colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet (ROYGBIV), hence the rainbow you get by shining white light through a prism.

 

[Sieguest]

What about something that reflects no light? For instance, say you were staring at a black hole (which is so dense, not even light can escape). Would you still consider it "black"?

By scientific terms yes. The only reason one could even make that distinction is because you can "see" everything around the black hole.

This could become a terms war from how I look at it.