• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Westminster Speed

Westminster Speed & Sound

(410) 857-5300 | CONTACT US | FINANCING AVAILABLE
  • Audio
    • BMW Upgrades
    • Ford Bronco Upgrades
    • Jeep Wrangler Upgrades
      • Jeep Wrangler Overview
      • Upgrades For Your Jeep Wrangler JL
      • Upgrades For Your Jeep Wrangler JK
    • Porsche Upgrades
    • Car Audio
    • Digital Signal Processing
    • Marine Audio
    • Motorcycle Audio
    • Stinger Heigh10 Multimedia Receiver
    • Powersports Audio and Accessories
    • Satellite Radio
    • Car Audio Repair
  • Convenience
    • Bluetooth Technology
    • Navigation Systems
    • Radar Detectors
    • Rear Seat Video
    • Heated Seats
    • Remote Car Starters
      • Remote Car Starters Overview
      • Remote Car Starter Models
      • Remote Starter Estimate Request
    • Security Systems
    • Smartphone Integration
  • Accessories
    • 3M Ceramic Coating
    • Paint Protection Film
    • Lighting
    • Trailer Hitches
    • Truck Accessories
    • Truck Bed Covers
    • Truck Steps
  • Driver Safety
    • Backup Sensors
    • Backup Cameras
    • Blind Spot Systems
    • Collision Avoidance
    • Dash Cameras
  • Window Tint
    • Window Tint at WSS
    • Window Tint Estimate Request form
  • About
    • About WSS
    • Why Choose WSS?
    • Customer Reviews
    • Directions
    • Meet The Team
    • Install Bay
    • Showroom
    • Demo Sound Room
    • Contact Us
  • Our Work
    • Client Vehicles
    • Videos
  • Facebook

Understanding Light Color and Illumination

January 22, 2023 By BestCarAudio.com Leave a Comment

Headlight Color

We took our first look at measuring light sources a while back as our first step toward understanding the differences in automotive headlight options. In this article, we’ll provide a practical demonstration of why it’s crucial for the lighting on your car, truck, motorcycle, ATV or side-by-side to emit light that covers the entire color spectrum evenly.

Light Sources and the Human Body

Light waves work similarly to sound waves in that both our eyes and ears are sensitive to a specific range of frequencies. For sound, most adults can hear from 20 Hz to around 15 kHz and see light in the range of 400 to 790 THz (terahertz). Sounds above 15 or 20 kHz are imperceivable as our ears don’t detect those signals and send the information to our brain. Likewise, energy below 400 THz (which is infrared) isn’t seen by our eyes but can be felt as heat on our skin. Frequencies above 790 THz, which is ultraviolet light, are also invisible to our eyes but can cause skin damage in the form of sunburn. Butterflies, some birds, reindeer and sockeye salmon can see ultraviolet light. At the other end of the spectrum, some snakes, fish and frogs can see infrared light.

How Our Eyes Perceive Objects

If you shine a white light at an object, that object reflects specific colors to our eyes. Those reflected colors match the color of the object. So, if you shine white light on a blue car, then blue light wavelengths are reflected to your eyes. The same goes for the yellow lane markings on the road and green grass on the boulevard or median.

Headlight Color
We see objects as being a specific color because only specific light rays from a source are reflected to our eyes.

Let’s put this concept into a set of simple rules. First, we’ll consider the sun on a cloudless day as a near-perfect light source. The sun emits light energy that’s very evenly distributed through the color spectrum.

Headlight Color
Light from the sun on a clear day contains relatively even energy across the color spectrum.

If you look at the spectrographic analysis of the light from the sun shown above, you can see that from light blue through to light red, the spectral density is fairly similar.

What if Color Is Missing from a Light Source?

We’ll set up a demonstration to show what happens when a specific color of light is missing from a light source and how that affects the way we perceive objects. We have a set of RGB LED strip lights set 18 inches away from a selection of Hot Wheels cars for this demonstration. We can use the smartphone app to choose which of the LEDs are on. First, we’ll take pictures of the cars with the camera flash, then with just the red, then the green, then the blue LEDs on so you can see which cars light up and which don’t.

Headlight Color
Our collection of Hot Wheels is illuminated by the white camera flash.
Headlight Color
Our collection of Hot Wheels is illuminated by only red LEDs.
Headlight Color
Our collection of Hot Wheels is illuminated by only green LEDs.
Headlight Color
Our collection of Hot Wheels is illuminated by only blue LEDs.

If you compare the photo of the cars illuminated with the flash to those with only single colors of lights, we can see that some vehicles are quite dark. In the image with the red LEDs, the green and blue cars remain dark. In the image with the green lighting, the red and blue cars are dark. It should now come as no surprise that the red and green cars look dark in the image with the blue lighting.

Going back to our rules concept, if our light source doesn’t offer light energy that matches the color of an object, we won’t perceive that object as being illuminated.

Just for references, we’ll include spectrographic analysis of the red, green and blue LEDs so you can see how narrowly focussed their light output is.

Headlight Color
Spectrographic analysis of our red LEDs.
Headlight Color
Spectrographic analysis of our green LEDs.
Headlight Color
Spectrographic analysis of our blue LEDs.

We are getting close to a point where we have enough information and understanding of how light works to analyze and understand the color content of different headlight bulb options. So please don’t fret; we’ll get to that information soon! In the meantime, if your headlights aren’t bright enough, drop by your local specialty mobile enhancement retailer and ask them about options to upgrade the lighting system on your car or truck.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: ARTICLES, Lighting, RESOURCE LIBRARY

About BestCarAudio.com

BestCarAudio.com is a showcase for the very best mobile electronics retailers in the world and a place to educate and inform interested consumers about existing and emerging technologies.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

OTHER RECENT POSTS

Five-Questions-to-Ask-When-Shopping-for-Automotive-Window-Tint

Five Questions to Ask When Shopping for Automotive Window Tint

Shopping for high-quality window tint for your car or truck isn’t much different from shopping for … [Read More...]

How Many Amplifier Channels Does My Car Audio System Need

How Many Amplifier Channels Does My Car Audio System Need?

If you’ve been paying attention to the car audio industry over the last decade, you know that the … [Read More...]

MB Quart Jeep Lead-In

MB Quart Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator Audio System Upgrades

If you have a JL-chassis Jeep Wrangler or a Jeep Gladiator and are searching for audio system … [Read More...]

Marine-Radio-Remote-Control-Options

Marine Radio Remote Control Options

One of the most gratifying features of modern marine radios is the ability to upgrade them with … [Read More...]

Modern-Vehicle-Electronics-and-Water-Damage-Article

Modern Vehicle Electronics and Water Damage

Water and road salt are known to wreak havoc on the body and underpinnings of our cars and trucks in … [Read More...]

Choose-an-Expert-for-Your-Remote-Car-Starter-Installation

Choose an Expert for Your Remote Car Starter Installation

We can’t count the number of times we’ve heard about someone calling a mobile enhancement retailer … [Read More...]

Subscribe to Our Website via Email

Enter your email address and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Search our site with any combination of CATEGORIES, TAGS, or KEYWORDS

  • Category

  • Tags

  • Sort Order

  • Keyword

  • » Reset

Contact Us

  • Hidden

Address

Westminster Speed and Sound
202 Pennsylvania Ave
Westminster, MD 21157
Phone: (410) 857-5300

SundayClosed
Monday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
SaturdayClosed

Location


Get Directions to Westminster Speed and Sound

Subscribe to Our Website via Email

Enter your email address and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Copyright © 2023 Westminster Speed and Sound · Privacy Policy · Website by 1sixty8 Media, inc. · Log in · !

 

Loading Comments...