Book 13, Question 41
Why Do Colors on a Phone Screen Look Different From Colors on Paper?
A screen makes its own light, using tiny red, green, and blue dots. Paper only reflects the light of the room. That is why the same picture can look different on each!
More fun facts
- Phone screens make colors by giving off red, green and blue light.
- Paper makes colors by reflecting some of the light that shines on it.
- Mixing colored lights is called additive mixing.
- Scientists have made a tiny reflective e-paper that can show color video on a screen smaller than two square millimeters.
- E-paper pixels keep their color for a while, so they mainly need power when colors change.
Sources: Exploratorium, Exploratorium, Scientific American
Questions kids ask
Does a screen shine light or reflect it?
A phone screen gives off its own light, while paper reflects light.