PURPOSE: Demonstrate color mixing.

DESCRIPTION: Spinning the color wheel on a fast rotator while illuminating it with a bright stroboscope produces a variety of color mixtures. For example, fourfold symmetry would imply that the color is produced by a mixture of four primaries: G+G+B+B = saturated cyan. Others include 2R+G+G+B = R+G+(R+G+B) = Y+W = unsaturated yellow, and B+B+2R+G =B+R+W = unsaturated magenta. The photograph at the right shows the color wheel rotating while being illuminated by the stroboscope blinking at the rotation rate of the wheel.

SUGGESTIONS:

REFERENCES: (PIRA unknown.)

EQUIPMENT: Color wheel and and fast rotator with stroboscope.

SETUP TIME: 5 min.