https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-the-wavelength-of-magenta-606166 Menu Home * Science, Tech, Math + Science + Math + Social Sciences + Computer Science + Animals & Nature * Humanities + History & Culture + Visual Arts + Literature + English + Geography + Philosophy + Issues * Languages + English as a Second Language + Spanish + French + German + Italian + Japanese + Mandarin + Russian * Resources + For Students & Parents + For Educators + For Adult Learners * About Us Search Close Search the site [ ] GO * Science, Tech, Math + Science + Math + Social Sciences + Computer Science + Animals & Nature * Humanities + History & Culture + Visual Arts + Literature + English + Geography + Philosophy + Issues * Languages + English as a Second Language + Spanish + French + German + Italian + Japanese + Mandarin + Russian * Resources + For Students & Parents + For Educators + For Adult Learners * + About Us + Contact Us + Editorial Guidelines + Privacy Policy Science, Tech, Math > Science What Is the Wavelength of Magenta? * Share * Flipboard * Email Print This color wheel shows the visible spectrum of light plus magenta This color wheel shows the visible spectrum of light plus magenta Dimitri Otis / Getty Images Science Science * Chemistry + Basics + Chemical Laws + Molecules + Periodic Table + Projects & Experiments + Scientific Method + Biochemistry + Physical Chemistry + Medical Chemistry + Chemistry In Everyday Life + Famous Chemists + Activities for Kids + Abbreviations & Acronyms * Biology * Physics * Geology * Astronomy * Weather & Climate By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. * Facebook * Twitter Chemistry Expert * Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville * B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on July 31, 2019 Have you ever tried to find the color magenta on the visible spectrum ? You can't do it! There is no wavelength of light that makes magenta. So how do we see it? Here's how it works... You can't find magenta in the visible spectrum because magenta cannot be emitted as a wavelength of light. Yet magenta exists; you can see it on this color wheel. Magenta is the complementary color to green or the color of the afterimage you would see after you stare at a green light. All of the colors of light have complementary colors that exist in the visible spectrum, except for green's complement, magenta. Most of the time your brain averages the wavelengths of light you see in order to come up with a color. For example, if you mix red light and green light, you'll see a yellow light. However, if you mix violet light and red light, you see magenta rather than the average wavelength, which would be green. Your brain has come up with a way to bring the ends of the visible spectrum together in a way that makes sense. Pretty cool, don't you think? Featured Video Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "What Is the Wavelength of Magenta?" ThoughtCo, Aug. 26, 2020, thoughtco.com/ what-is-the-wavelength-of-magenta-606166. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2020, August 26). What Is the Wavelength of Magenta? Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/ what-is-the-wavelength-of-magenta-606166 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "What Is the Wavelength of Magenta?" 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