witlicht

White light is light that the human eye perceives as white. It is not a single wavelength but a blend of many wavelengths within the visible spectrum. When white light is passed through a prism, it is dispersed into a continuous range of colors, showing that it contains a broad distribution of wavelengths rather than a single hue.

White light can be produced by broad-spectrum sources such as the sun and many artificial lamps. Incandescent lamps emit a broad spectrum similar to sunlight, while modern light sources like phosphor-converted LEDs and certain fluorescent lamps achieve white light by combining multiple wavelengths. In contrast, white light can also be created by mixing three primary colors (red, green, and blue) in appropriate proportions, a method used in displays and some lighting systems.

Color temperature describes the apparent warmth or coolness of white light and is measured in kelvin. Lower temperatures (about 2700 to 3000 K) produce warm white light, mid-range values (around 3500 to 4500 K) neutral white, and higher values (5000 to 6500 K) cool or daylight white. The color rendering index (CRI) measures how accurately a light source reveals colors compared with a reference light.

In lighting and color science, white light is characterized by its spectral power distribution and its position in color spaces such as CIE. Practical considerations include luminous flux (measured in lumens), luminous efficacy (lumens per watt), and color rendition. White light is central to vision, photography, and design, where its quality and characteristics influence perception and aesthetics.