Final answer:
The RGB (Red, Green, Blue) color mode is most commonly used for displaying color images on a computer monitor. RGB is an additive color model used in electronic displays, where light is combined in different intensities to create a wide range of colors.
Step-by-step explanation:
The color mode most commonly used for displaying color images on a computer monitor is RGB (Red, Green, Blue). This additive color model is ideal for screens as it works through blending light to create colors. Computer monitors, televisions, and other electronic displays have pixels that are composed of RGB sub-pixels. When these sub-pixels are illuminated in different intensities, they create the range of colors we see on the screen.
The RGB color model is based on the idea of additive color mixing. When red, green, and blue light are mixed together at varying intensities, they can produce a wide spectrum of colors. For example, mixing red and green light creates yellow, red and blue light create magenta, and green and blue light create cyan. All three colors combined at full intensity will produce white light.
The CMYK color model, on the other hand, is a subtractive color model commonly used in color printing. This model uses the primary colors of pigment (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key which is black) and is not suitable for electronic displays. Grayscale mode produces images in shades of gray, omitting color altogether, while primary colors refer to the basic colors from which other colors can be created.