ROOM 101 - yellow

Yellow  is the colour of gold, butter, or ripe lemons. In the spectrum of visible light, and in the traditional colour wheel used by painters, yellow is located between green and orange.

Yellow is commonly associated with gold, wealth, sunshine, reason, happiness, optimism and pleasure, but also with cowardice, envy, jealousy and betrayal. It plays an important part in Asian culture, particularly in China.

Yellow is the most visible colour, and is particularly attractive to birds and insects. It is believed that the vision of birds is particularly sensitive to certain colours, such as yellow. Yellow pan traps are used to capture insects, many of which are attracted to shades of yellow.

Yellow, as the colour of sunlight, is commonly associated with warmth. Yellow combined with red symbolized heat and energy. A room painted yellow feels warmer than a room painted white, and a lamp with yellow light seems more natural than a lamp with white light.

As the colour of light, yellow is also associated with knowledge and wisdom. In English and many other languages, "brilliant" and "bright" mean intelligent. In Islam, the yellow colour of gold symbolizes wisdom. In medieval European symbolism, red symbolized passion, blue symbolized the spiritual, and yellow symbolized reason. In many European universities, yellow gowns and caps are worn by members of the faculty of physical and natural sciences, as yellow is the colour of reason and research.

Yellow is the most visible colour from a distance, so it is often used for objects that need to be seen, such as fire engines, road maintenance equipment, school buses and taxicabs. It is also often used for warning signs, since yellow traditionally signals caution, rather than danger. A yellow light on a traffic signal means slow down, but not stop; a yellow penalty card in a soccer match means warning, but not expulsion.

Yellow is the colour most associated with optimism and pleasure; it is a colour designed to attract attention, and for amusement. Yellow dresses in fashion are rare, but always associated with gaiety and celebration.