Indeed, your understanding is spot on. In the human visual perception, the brightness of red light might indeed be stronger than blue light but weaker than green light:
Luminance Perception: Red light (hexadecimal #ff0000
) is often perceived as brighter than blue light (#0000ff
). However, in contrast to green light (#00ff00
), it can sometimes appear dimmer.
Spectral Sensitivity: The human eye has its peak sensitivity to a wavelength around the green part of the spectrum. Although red isn't as potently detected by the same receptor types, its wavelengths still contribute a level of brightness.
Color Perception: Different colors at the same physical intensity can appear different due to how the cone cells in our retina process them. Red tends to be seen more strongly than blue.
Cone Cells Response: The response of the photoreceptors for red (L-cones) is not as potent as those for green (M-cones), which results in lower perceived brightness in comparison.
Brightness Contrast: Red light could appear brighter when contrasted with blue light due to differences in how these colors stimulate the cones, but it's often outperformed by green light in brightness due to the high sensitivity to yellow-green wavelengths.
Psychophysical Factors: Psychological and experiential factors can also filter into how each color's brightness is perceived. Green light is often associated with Spring and life, influencing judgments on its vibrancy.
In summary, red light, although it stands out and can appear bright in many contexts, commonly falls between green and blue in terms of brightness within the range of visible light. The exact perception of brightness can still vary widely among individuals and under different environmental conditions.