When it comes to color, purple occupies an interesting space between red and blue on the visible spectrum. But is it more closely related to blue or red? Let’s take a closer look at the science and psychology behind purple to find out if it belongs in the blue family.
The Science of Purple
In physics, purple is a non-spectral color, meaning that it does not correspond to any single wavelength of light. Purple is an extra-spectral color created when red and blue light are mixed together. On the visible spectrum, purple falls between wavelengths of about 380 and 450 nanometers.
So in terms of light waves, purple is a combination of the shortest wavelengths of visible light (blue) and the longest wavelengths (red). This places purple firmly between red and blue.
The Psychology of Purple
Psychologically, studies have shown that people tend to categorize purple with blue more often than with red. Researchers who analyzed large numbers of color names across various cultures and languages found that purple was grouped with blue around 75% of the time.
There are a few potential reasons why purple is linked to blue in our minds:
- The wavelengths that make up purple are biased towards blue. Shorter wavelengths have a greater impact on our perception.
- There are separate color terms for purple and red, but no term separating purple and blue linguistically.
- Purple shares some soothing psychological attributes with blue, like dignity, imagination and spirituality.
So psychologically, purple is strongly associated with blue due to how our brains categorize color and the emotional responses purple invokes.
Purple in Art and Design
In color theory for art and design, purple sits between red and blue on the color wheel. So it inherits traits from both primary colors.
Here’s a look at how purple relates to red and blue in art:
| Red | Purple | Blue |
|---|---|---|
| Warm | Cool and warm | Cool |
| Advancing | Neutral | Receding |
| Attention-grabbing | Regal, mysterious | Calming |
So in color theory, purple takes on some attributes from red like energy, while also sharing some tranquil qualities with blue. It strikes a balance between the two.
Shades of Purple
When discussing purple, it’s important to note that not all purples are created equal. The shade of purple can determine whether it appears more blue or red.
Here’s a look at how different shades of purple compare:
| Purple Shade | Appears More Blue | Appears More Red |
|---|---|---|
| Violet | X | |
| Lavender | X | |
| Orchid | X | |
| Magenta | X |
Shades like violet and lavender with more blue undertones clearly sit closer to blue on the spectrum. Darker shades like orchid and magenta appear more red.
Conclusion
So does purple belong to the blue family? Based on the evidence, purple is fundamentally linked to both red and blue, but has a closer affiliation with blue.
Scientifically, purple is a mixture of red and blue wavelengths but is biased towards the shorter blue side of the visible light spectrum.
Psychologically, our brains tend to categorize purple with blue due to emotional associations and the lack of a separate linguistic term.
In color theory, purple exhibits some traits of both red and blue but strikes a balance between the two.
And certain shades of purple like violet appear more blue, while shades like magenta look more red.
So while purple has connections to red, overall it sits closer to blue scientifically, psychologically, and artistically. When evaluating all the evidence, purple does belong in the blue family.
