Question

Long ago, during the early days of television, when a television set was turned off it took a while for the last image that was on the screen to fade away. This phenomenon is most like _________.

Answer 1

The fading image on an old television screen is similar to a negative afterimage, which results from the persistent activation of photoreceptors in the eye, similar to phosphors glowing in older TV screens.

Step-by-step explanation:

The phenomenon of the last image on a television screen taking a while to fade away after the set is turned off is most like a negative afterimage. This effect occurs due to the lingering activation of the photoreceptor cells in the eyes. When you stare at a specific color for a prolonged period and then look away to a white screen, the fatigued cells responsible for that color temporarily respond less strongly, causing the complementary color to be seen.

Early television sets, particularly those manufactured around the 1950s, were cathode ray tube (CRT) sets that would display images on phosphorescent screens. The phosphors would continue to glow briefly after the electron beam was turned off, somewhat similar to how a negative afterimage continues to appear to our eyes even after looking away from the original stimulus.