The Physics And Chemistry Of Color

An updated and revised second edition of the acclaimed classic Have you ever wondered why the sky is blue, or a ruby red? This classic volume studies the physical and chemical origins of color by exploring fifteen separate causes of color and their varied and often subtle occurrences in biology, geology, mineralogy, the atmosphere, technology, and the visual arts. It covers all of the fundamental concepts at work and requires no specialized knowledge. Author Kurt Nassau includes hundreds of illustrations, tables, and photographs-as well as end-of-chapter problems-that aid in visualizing the concepts discussed. An updated bibliography permits readers to pursue their own particular interests and an expanded series of appendices cover advanced topics. The Physics and Chemistry of Color, Second Edition is a one-of-a-kind treatment of color that provides both detailed physical and chemical properties of color and a more general overview of the subject. It will prove highly useful to specialists and non-specialists alike-and fascinate those with varied interests from optics to art history.

In this brief, Mary Virginia Orna details the history of color from the chemical point of view. Beginning with the first recorded uses of color and ending in the development of our modern chemical industry, this rich, yet concise exposition shows us how color pervades every aspect of our lives. Our consciousness, our perceptions, our useful appliances and tools, our playthings, our entertainment, our health, and our diagnostic apparatus – all involve color and are based in no small part on chemistry.

The Science of Color focuses on the principles and observations that are foundations of modern color science. Written for a general scientific audience, the book broadly covers essential topics in the interdisciplinary field of color, drawing from physics, physiology and psychology. This book comprises eight chapters and begins by tracing scientific thinking about color since the seventeenth century. This historical perspective provides an introduction to the fundamental questions in color science, by following advances as well as misconceptions over more than 300 years. The next chapters then discuss the relationship between light, the retinal image, and photoreceptors, followed by a focus on concepts such as color matching and color discrimination; color appearance and color difference specification; the physiology of color vision; the 15 mechanisms of the physics and chemistry of color; and digital color reproduction. Each chapter begins with a short outline that summarizes the organization and breadth of its material. The outlines are valuable guides to chapter structure, and worth scanning even by readers who may not care to go through a chapter from start to finish. This book will be of interest to scientists, artists, manufacturers, and students.

This fully revised and expanded 2nd edition provides a single authoritative resource describing the concepts of color and the application of color science across research and industry. Significant changes for the 2nd edition include: New and expanded sections on color engineering More entries on fundamental concepts of color science and color terms Many additional entries on specific materials Further material on optical concepts and human visual perception Additional articles on organisations, tools and systems relevant to color A new set of entries on 3D presentation of color In addition, many of the existing entries have been revised and updated to ensure that the content of the encyclopedia is current and represents the state of the art. The work covers the full gamut of color: the fundamentals of color science; the physics and chemistry; color as it relates to optical phenomena and the human visual system; and colorants and materials. The measurement of color is described through entries on colorimetry, color spaces, color difference metrics, color appearance models, color order systems and cognitive color. The encyclopedia also has extensive coverage of applications throughout industry, including color imaging, color capture, display and printing, and descriptions of color encodings, color management, processing color and applications relating to color synthesis for computer graphics are included. The broad scope of the work is illustrated through entries on color in art conservation, color and architecture, color and education, color and culture, and biographies of some of the key figures involved in color research throughout history. With over 250 entries from color science researchers across academia and industry, this expanded 2nd edition of the Encyclopedia of Color Science and Technology remains the most important single resource in color science.

A comprehensive illustrated exploration of the fascinating science of color Arielle and Joann Eckstut, authors of The Secret Language of Color, offer a thorough, readable, and highly visual exploration of the science of color. Organized by 50 of the most essential questions about color across a variety of fields—physics, chemistry, biology, technology, and psychology—this book examines how and why we see color; how color relates to light; what the real primary colors are; how biology, language, and culture affect the colors that we see; and much more. Full of clear and elegant infographics, What Is Color? is a must-have for artists and designers, scientists, students, and decorators, and anyone else whose work or play involves color.

From Egyptian wall paintings to the Venetian Renaissance, impressionism to digital images, Philip Ball tells the fascinating story of how art, chemistry, and technology have interacted throughout the ages to render the gorgeous hues we admire on our walls and in our museums. Finalist for the 2002 National Book Critics Circle Award.