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Re: Beats: quiz question



In a message dated 2/12/2003 6:42:44 PM Eastern Standard Time,
kphox@MAIL.CCSD.K12.CO.US writes:

Today I put this question on a Waves test.

4. In color theory red light (4.8 x 1014 HZ) and green light (5.7 x 1014
Hz) combine to yield yellow. A student proposed that this is an example of
the beats phenomenon.
a. What would be the beat frequency of these colors? Would this be an
observable frequency?
b. Is the student justified in his hypothesis?


I have thought about this in the past and, following wise advice from John
D., found a helpful website whose URL I did not keep. However, the gist of
it was that color mixing comes from different cones (rods?) being stimulated
in our retinas by light whose frequency falls in the range of both. This is
why we can distinguish individual frequencies in mixed sound waves but not in
light waves (my original question). So I think the hypothesis is probably
not valid.

I believe my search was something like "color perception".

Hope this is helpful

Justin Parke