Editing Color temperature (section)

{{Short description|Property of light sources related to black-body radiation}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{more citations needed|date=June 2012}}
[[File:PlanckianLocus.png|right|thumb|300px|The [[CIE 1931]] ''x,y'' chromaticity space, also showing the chromaticities of black-body light sources of various temperatures ([[Planckian locus]]), and lines of constant [[correlated color temperature]]]]

'''Color temperature''' is a parameter describing the [[color]] of a [[visible light]] source by comparing it to the color of [[Black-body radiation|light emitted]] by an [[Black body|idealized opaque, non-reflective body]]. The [[temperature]] of the ideal emitter that matches the color most closely is defined as the color temperature of the original visible light source. The color temperature scale describes only the ''color'' of light emitted by a light source, which may actually be at a different (and often much lower) temperature.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Colour temperature explained {{!}} Adobe |url=https://www.adobe.com/hk_en/creativecloud/video/discover/color-temperature.html |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=www.adobe.com |language=en-HK}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=What is Color Temperature? How Does it Affect Color Performance of the Monitor? |url=https://www.benq.com/en-us/knowledge-center/knowledge/color-temperature.html |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=BenQ |language=en}}</ref>

Color temperature has applications in [[lighting]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-02-22 |title=Kelvin Color Temperature Chart {{!}} Lighting Color Scale at Lumens |url=https://www.lumens.com/the-edit/the-guides/understanding-kelvin-color-temperature/ |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=www.lumens.com |language=en-US}}</ref> [[photography]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=IoP |date=2023-04-17 |title=Colour Temperature and Its Importance in Photography |url=https://www.institute-of-photography.com/colour-temperature-and-its-importance-in-photography/ |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Institute of Photography |language=en}}</ref> [[videography]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Redding |first=Kevin |date=2023-02-10 |title=Why Color Temperature Is Important in Filmmaking and Editing |url=https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/what-is-color-temperature-75608/ |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Backstage}}</ref> [[publishing]],<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2020-12-23 |title=Correct Color Temperature When Lighting Prints |url=https://gintchinfineart.com/blog/lighting-prints-color-temperature/ |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Gintchin Fine Art |language=en-US}}</ref> [[manufacturing]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=de Varona |first=Ray |date=2020-01-24 |title=Ideal Color Temperature for Office and Industrial Spaces |url=https://relightdepot.com/blog/ideal-color-temperature-for-office-and-industrial-spaces/ |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=RelightDepot |language=en}}</ref> [[astrophysics]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Colors of Stars {{!}} Astronomy |url=https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-astronomy/chapter/colors-of-stars/ |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=courses.lumenlearning.com}}</ref> and other fields. In practice, color temperature is most meaningful for light sources that correspond somewhat closely to the color of some black body, i.e., light in a range going from red to orange to yellow to [[white]] to bluish white. Although the concept of correlated color temperature extends the definition to any visible light, the color temperature of a green or a purple light rarely is useful information. Color temperature is conventionally expressed in [[kelvin]]s<!-- pluralized – see Kelvin#Usage conventions -->, using the symbol K, a [[unit of measure|unit]] for absolute temperature.

Color temperatures over 5000&nbsp;K are called "cool colors" (bluish), while lower color temperatures (2700–3000&nbsp;K) are called "warm colors" (yellowish). "Warm" in this context is with respect to a traditional categorization of colors, not a reference to black body temperature. The [[hue-heat hypothesis]] states that low color temperatures will feel warmer while higher color temperatures will feel cooler. The spectral peak of warm-colored light is closer to infrared, and most natural warm-colored light sources emit significant infrared radiation. The fact that "warm" lighting in this sense actually has a "cooler" color temperature often leads to confusion.<ref>See the comments section of this LightNowBlog.com [http://www.lightnowblog.com/2016/07/ama-issues-led-streetlighting-guidance-controversy-ensues/ article] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170307123725/http://www.lightnowblog.com/2016/07/ama-issues-led-streetlighting-guidance-controversy-ensues/ |date=2017-03-07 }} on the recommendations of the [[American Medical Association]] to prefer LED-lighting with ''cooler'' color temperatures (i.e. ''warmer'' color).</ref>