Certified Ophthalmic Medical Technologist (COMT) Practice Exam

What are the three primary colors of light?

1. Red, yellow, and blue

2. Green, blue, and purple

3. Red, green, and blue

4. Yellow, cyan, and magenta

The correct answer is: Red, green, and blue

The three primary colors of light are red, green, and blue. These colors are known as additive primary colors in the context of light. When combined in various ways, they can produce a wide spectrum of colors. For example, when red and green light are mixed, they create yellow light, while combining red and blue produces magenta, and mixing green and blue results in cyan. Ultimately, when all three colors are mixed together in equal intensities, they produce white light. Understanding the additive color mixing model is essential in fields such as photography, television, and electronic displays, where colors are produced by varying the intensity of the red, green, and blue light components. This concept differs from pigment colors, which use subtractive color mixing, as seen in traditional art materials where yellow, cyan, and magenta are the primary colors. This distinction is crucial for comprehending how colors are created in different mediums.