General Awareness

Color Theory and Symbolism

1,945 Questions

Color theory and symbolism examine primary, secondary, and tertiary colors, alongside their psychological and cultural meanings. Questions also cover color spaces, photography, and optical properties. This specialized topic appears in design, architecture, and general intelligence sections of various competitive exams.

Primary and secondary colorsColor spaces and modelsCultural color symbolismChemical compound colorsOptical color properties

Color Theory and Symbolism Questions

Multiple choice

When a red rose is seen through green light, it appears:

  1. White

  2. Pink

  3. Black

  4. Blue

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

A red rose appears red because it reflects red light and absorbs other colors. When seen through green light, only green wavelengths are present. Since the rose absorbs green (doesn't reflect it), no light reflects back to the eye, making it appear black.

Multiple choice

Colour of red rose in green light becomes ______.

  1. white

  2. black

  3. red

  4. green
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

A red rose appears red because it reflects red light and absorbs other colors including green. Under pure green light, no red light is available to reflect, so the rose absorbs all incident light and appears black (no reflection).

Multiple choice

Which of the following colours is different?

  1. Green

  2. Red

  3. Brown

  4. Violet
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Brown is not a spectral or rainbow color - it is a composite color made by mixing other colors or appears in context (like darkened orange). Green, Red, and Violet are all pure spectral colors found in the rainbow.

Multiple choice

The first colour of the rainbow is

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the question that follows:

Rainbows! Rainbows! The sight which the children love to see. They are awestruck when they see the magnificence of the colourful arc. These wonderful arc like structures are caused when sunlight shines through drops of water in the sky at a specific angle. It is the rainstorm which becomes the birthplace of the rainbows. Rainbows are often seen when the sun comes out after or during a rainstorm. When white sunlight enters a raindrop, it exits the raindrop in a different colour. The rainbow is also called ‘VIBGYOR’ when it exits lots of different raindrops at different angles. The different coloured lights are: V is violet, I is indigo, B is blue, G is green, Y is yellow, O is orange and R is red. Together, these colours are known as the spectrum. These colours can sometimes be seen in waterfalls and fountains as well. We can see double rainbows, meaning a rainbow which forms two arcs. In other words, the order of colours starts with violet on top and ends with red on bottom. Believe it or not, rainbows sometimes appear as white arcs at night. These rainbows are called moonbows. Moonbows are caused by moonlight (rather than sunlight) shining through drops of water.

  1. red

  2. violet

  3. green
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The line '...the order of colours starts with violet on top and ends with the red on bottom' suggests the answer.

Multiple choice

Which of the following colours is not in a rainbow?

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the question that follows:

Rainbows! Rainbows! The sight which the children love to see. They are awestruck when they see the magnificence of the colourful arc. These wonderful arc like structures are caused when sunlight shines through drops of water in the sky at a specific angle. It is the rainstorm which becomes the birthplace of the rainbows. Rainbows are often seen when the sun comes out after or during a rainstorm. When white sunlight enters a raindrop, it exits the raindrop in a different colour. The rainbow is also called ‘VIBGYOR’ when it exits lots of different raindrops at different angles. The different coloured lights are: V is violet, I is indigo, B is blue, G is green, Y is yellow, O is orange and R is red. Together, these colours are known as the spectrum. These colours can sometimes be seen in waterfalls and fountains as well. We can see double rainbows, meaning a rainbow which forms two arcs. In other words, the order of colours starts with violet on top and ends with red on bottom. Believe it or not, rainbows sometimes appear as white arcs at night. These rainbows are called moonbows. Moonbows are caused by moonlight (rather than sunlight) shining through drops of water.

  1. Yellow

  2. Indigo

  3. Pink

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Option (4) is the correct answer. The different coloured lights are violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red. 

Multiple choice

Match the following:

 
Zones of a flame Features
a. The innermost zone 1. Blue in colour and the hottest
b. The middle zone 2. Yellow in colour and moderately hot
c. The outer zone 3. Black in colour and the coldest

  1. a - 3, b - 1, c - 2

  2. a - 3, b - 2, c - 1

  3. a - 2, b - 3, c - 1

  4. a - 2, b - 1, c - 3

  5. a - 1, b - 2, c - 3
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

This is the correct option. The innermost zone is black in colour and the coldest. The middle zone is yellow in colour and moderately hot. The outer zone is blue in colour and the hottest.

Multiple choice

Directions: The question that follows has a conclusion, followed by two statements (A) and (B).

The most widely encountered colour in the world is white. A. Almost 80% of all printed matter has white colour. B. Green is the second most widely encountered colour.

  1. if statements A alone is adequate to arrive at the conclusion.

  2. if statement B alone is adequate to arrive at the conclusion.

  3. if both statements A and B are required to arrive at the conclusion.

  4. if both statements are insufficient to draw the conclusion.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Printed matter is a small fraction of the colours that we encounter in the world.

Multiple choice

A colour-blind person has difficulty in seeing

  1. all colours

  2. red colour only

  3. red, green and pale tints

  4. violet mid blue
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The most common type of color blindness is red-green color blindness, where people have difficulty distinguishing between red and green colors. Pale tints are also harder to distinguish. Color-blind people don't see in grayscale or lose all color perception.

Multiple choice

What is the colour of middle zone of the flame of candle?

  1. Yellow

  2. Blue

  3. Black

  4. Green
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The middle zone of a candle flame is called the luminous zone and appears yellow due to incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons. The incomplete combustion produces tiny carbon particles that heat up and glow, giving this zone its characteristic yellow color.