LIGHT WAVES, THE EYE, AND COLOR VISION: ch 4

amplitude

wave height; for light, greater intensity is typically experiences as greater brightness

wavelength

distance between successive wave peaks; in visible light it relates to perceived hue

frequency

number of wave cycles per second. for waves traveling at constant speed, higher frequency means shorter wavelength

visible spectrum

the limited range of electromagnetic wavelengths that human visual receptors can detect

rods

highly sensitive in dim light; do not support normal color discrimination

cones

support color vision and fine detail, especially in brighter light

trichromatic theory

color vision begins with three cone types most sensitive to short-medium and long wavelength light; often introduced as blue, green and red

hue

what the color actually is ( blue, green red, etc)

brightness

how light/dark the hue is