Final answer:
The statement is false as red and blue light combine to form magenta through additive color mixing, while mixing red and blue pigments results in magenta through subtractive color mixing, and may result in different brightness and hue.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that when we shine a mixture of red and blue light onto a white surface the resulting color is exactly the same as when we paint it with a mixture of red and blue pigment is false. This is because the mechanisms of color mixing with light and pigments are fundamentally different. With light, we are dealing with additive color mixing, where colors are created by adding the light of different colors together, and where the combination of all colors of light leads to white. In contrast, pigments work with subtractive color mixing, where pigments absorb certain wavelengths of light and reflect others; the more pigments you mix, the more wavelengths are absorbed, leading to black or muddy colors if all are mixed together.
When red and blue lights shine on a white surface, they combine to form magenta, as white surfaces reflect all colors. However, when red and blue pigments are mixed, they absorb all colors except for magenta, which is the color that gets reflected. It's important to note that even this reflected magenta in pigment mixing may not have the same brightness and hue as the magenta created by light due to the absorptive properties of the pigments.