1. Explain what a "spectral absorption function" is.

2. Why does a stimulus of 500 nm wavelength, with an intensity of 1,000 photons per second (only strong enough to stimulate rods) look roughly twice as bright as a stimulus of 570 nm, 1,000 photons per second?

3. Can a rod detect the difference between a stimulus of 510 nm, 1000 photons per second and a stimulus of 560 nm, 2000 photons per second?

4. How do the spectral absorption functions of cones differ from those of rods? Explain what the terms S cone, M cone and L cone refer to.

5. In terms of cone stimulation, explain what the perception of color is.

6. What color does a stimulus which excites L and M cones equally appear to be?

7. What color does a stimulus which excites L, M and S cones nearly equally appear to be?

8. Explain what metamers are.

9. Why does the light emitted from a flourescent light appear to be white, even though it consists of just a few spectral bands?

10. In the reading, how is it possible that the spectra shown in Figure 3 and Figure 4 look exactly the same?

Last Modified: Tuesday, 04-Nov-2003 fleishml@union.edu