Start with light
These colored lights add together. Paint and ink mix in a different way.
Light Color Mixer
Adjust red, green, and blue lights and observe the colors formed where they combine.
Grades 3–5 · Physics
Your goal
Make cyan light with red 0, green 255, and blue 255.
Reduced motion is on. The controls still update the scene.
Black with no light. Red 0 plus green 0 plus blue 0.
These are lights, not paint. Adding red, green, and blue light at full strength makes white in this RGB model.
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Learn with Light Color Mixer
Light Color Mixer introduces additive color mixing by letting students adjust red, green, and blue light channels. Compare the resulting color with a target and investigate what happens when one channel becomes stronger or several channels combine. Elementary learners can build familiar colors and explain why combining light works differently from mixing paints. The activity uses a simplified RGB display model, providing a clear starting point for discussing the colored light used by computer and television screens.
What to look for
Combine two colors
Red and green light can produce yellow. Other pairs produce cyan or magenta.
Try all three
Equal full-strength red, green, and blue light produce white in this screen model.
For teachers and curious learners
Explore additive mixing of colored light. Ask students to predict what will happen, change one setting, and explain what they observe. Learn gives a starting point. Practice and Challenge offer new goals with the same scene.
This is an additive RGB screen model. Real lamps, materials, eyes, and screens can produce different brightness and color appearances.
Continue with Color Mixing Light Lab .