Colorful temperature

The concept made in the title of the article is widely used in such fields of science and practical activity as astrophysics, the production of various types of lamps and light filters. The physical nature of the phenomena that characterizes the color temperature is that it creates objective grounds for the perception of colors by the human eye. In a more complex interpretation, it shows the spectral structure of radiation emanating from a particular source. Since the perception of color by the eye is largely determined by the subjective characteristics of the human body, the state of the nervous system, the parameters of the visual system, then for the objectification of spectral properties use special color distribution scales depending on the temperature of the sources.

Thus, for example, the color temperature of the onset of visual perception by the human eye for incandescent substances or bodies is 800 K.

This indicator characterizes the intensity of the source radiation within the optical range. Its values are measured in Kelvin.

According to experimentally established standards, the candle flame light becomes visible at its temperature of 1500-2000 K, and the glow of a simple incandescent lamp with a power of 40 watts becomes observable at 2000 K. In general, the color temperature of incandescent lamps is determined by their power and is in the range of 2000 K Up to 3000 K, for the most common standards for consumers (40 - 200 W). The most common lamps used in film-making and film-producing technology have temperatures of 3200-3250 K. The sun, when approaching the horizon, is visible, if its color temperature is 3000 K, at midday - 5000 K, but the clouds, in order to become visible, should " Warm up "already up to 5500 K.

Among the natural and climatic phenomena, the clearest winter blue sky with a temperature of 15,000 K has the highest temperature, and also the same phenomenon in the northern latitudes, where the color temperature can reach a value of 20,000 K.

The most frequent case when a person can appreciate this indicator is, of course, the use of various kinds of lighting devices equipped with lamps. For example, fluorescent lamps widely used in everyday life and other spheres have much higher temperatures. According to the data, the color temperature of fluorescent lamps, depending on its other characteristics, can be from 2700 to 7700 K at their maximum output.

The color temperature parameter is widely used in photography and cinematography. For example, any color film is produced with completely fixed color temperature values. This achieves its high quality color rendering. If you are shooting a slide or negative shot, or shooting at large focal lengths, you need a film that uses a color temperature balance factor of about 5600K for daylight and 3200K for evening shots.

In modern digital cameras, the balancing effect is also applied, only this is achieved by automatically adjusting the photo device itself or by the pre-installation option.

In printing industry, in order to ensure high quality products, the technology of adjusting the color temperature at all stages of the production process is also applied. The optimum value is 6500 K. At this value, the light source forms in its structure an ultraviolet component that is not perceived by the human eye. But some objects with this value of the color temperature start to glow, which makes the printing products attractive and original. Moreover, with the help of such technologies, an effect is achieved in which the "whiteness" of a white paper is able to exceed a hundred percent value.