Open the color vison simulation and select Single Bulb. Click the button to turn on the flashlight, and toggle the filter switch to add a filter in front of the flashlight. Adjust the Filter Color and Bulb Color sliders to change the light color and the filter color, and observe what color the eye perceives.

Question

What happened when you used a colored filter and a colored lightbulb? Using your knowledge of the human eye, explain why this happened.
Answer:The woman in the simulation could only see colored light if it passed through a matching filter, which absorbs other colors and allows only the same color to pass through.

Part B
Now use a white lightbulb and select a colored filter. What happened? Explain why.

When white light shines on a color filter, a person in the simulation sees the color of the filter. If the filter is green, it lets green light through and stops all the other colors from going through.

Part C
Color blindness occurs when a person doesn’t have one or more types of cones. Based on the simulation, if a person didn’t have red cones, how would their perception of color change?

With no cones in the eye you will not be able to see any red, color that might contain red.

Self-Evaluation
How did you do? Rate your work on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 as the highest score. Then write a brief evaluation of your work below. Note what you learned and what challenged you.

Space used (includes formatting): 12 / 30000

Answer 1

Self-Evaluation

I would rate my work a 4. I provided clear explanations for the simulations regarding light and color perception, capturing the essence of how colored filters and bulbs interact with light. I effectively described the behavior of light when interacting with filters and the implications of color blindness.

What I Learned: I learned how colored filters selectively transmit certain wavelengths of light, and how the color of light—be it colored or white—affects what we perceive through those filters. The relationship between light, filters, and human color perception was clarified through practical simulation exercises.

Challenges: One challenge I faced was in articulating the concept of color blindness clearly, particularly in relation to how the absence of certain cones affects perception. I had to think carefully about how to explain the absence of red cones and its implications without oversimplifying the concept.

Overall, I felt that using the simulation as a practical tool helped reinforce my understanding of these concepts, making them easier to communicate.