Final answer:
The observed color when different colored light sources are combined with filters is determined by additive color mixing and the filter's absorption spectrum. Color Vision simulators help explore these interactions, demonstrating that colors seen through filters can yield unexpected results due to the way light wavelengths combine.
Step-by-step explanation:
When combinations of bulbs and filters with different colors interact, the color of light observed depends on the properties of both the light source and the filter. The Color Vision tools described, such as the simulator at OpenStax or PhET Explorations, offer a way to explore how mixing different wavelengths of light produces various colors. Unlike pigments or paints which mix subtractively, light colors mix additively; hence complementary colors can help predict the resulting color seen.
To see this in action, when a colored light passes through a filter of a different color, only the wavelengths of light that are not absorbed by the filter can pass through. For instance, if you shine blue light through a yellow filter, you might not see any light because yellow filters absorb blue light. This can sometimes yield unexpected results; for example, if all colors except some red are filtered out, the light may appear cyan. Understanding this concept is useful for analyzing phenomena like why a lit match appears orange due to its emission spectrum, while a gas stove's flame looks blue, which relates to the temperature and combustion process producing different spectral colors.