Facts About Colours That Are So Common You’d Be Surprised You Didn’t Know Them

Colours are commonly associated with our emotions and feelings mostly because of their visual impact.

Colours can change a setting or even your mood. Everything done or felt can be associated with colours. The influence that colours have over our psyche is fascinating. Here are a few fun facts about colours that are so common that it would surprise you to think that you didn’t know them.

Red Is Different For Men And Women

Studies have shown that the colour red is seen differently by men and women. According to researchers, the visual ability associated with the colour red comes from a gene attached with the X chromosome. Women have two X chromosomes and this makes them a stronger perceiver of the red-orange spectrum in the colour scale.

Black Over Yellow Has The Strongest Impact

The yellow colour is the most visible of all colours in the spectrum. The human eye is wired to process the colour yellow first. This is why yellow when paired with black offers the sharpest contrast. This also explains why yellow is uses as the colour for road dividers, emergency vehicles and cautionary signs.

Humans Can Make Out More Shades Of Green Compared To Other Colours

It has been found that the human eye is the most sensitive to the colour green compared to any other colour of the spectrum. Our eyes can distinguish more shades of green than that of any other colour. This is the reason why night vision goggles used by soldiers have green lenses. It helps them to spot even the slightest activity in the dark with clarity.

Red And Yellow Makes You Hungry

The most appetizing of all the colours in the colour spectrum are red and yellow. As a result, many restaurants and cafes end up using these two colours on their signs, menus or even backgrounds to make the customers feel hungry. For example, McDonald’s, KFC, Burger King –all these food chains have red and yellow incorporated in their signs and logos.

The Sun Appears White From Space

From seen from the space, the sun actually appears white. However, it is the earth’s atmosphere that makes the sun appear yellow. The shorter wavelengths of the sun’s light, blue, is scattered into the atmosphere making the sky seem blue. This leaves behind the longer wavelengths of the sunlight that is the yellow-red wavelengths, eventually making the sun appear yellow.