Talk:2734: Electron Color

2023-02-06T23:53:23Z

Iffy: stated my opinion

Electrons have no color?! BUt lIgHTnIng strIKeS aRe YEllOw, aND LigHTNing IS MaDe uP of eLECTrOns.[[Special:Contributions/172.71.254.115|172.71.254.115]] 22:43, 6 February 2023 (UTC)

It may refer to the Greek etymology of the word "electron". Originally it meant amber, a yellow gem. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.118.146|172.68.118.146]] 23:20, 6 February 2023 (UTC)

I can't do formatting, I'm new. Sorry! (no signature left on comment)

To me, this is 1000% building on the idea of debating the colors of school subjects. I've added a bit of explanation to the text about it. I used my own color associations & reasons (science = green, history = red) as an example, and I'm sure people will disagree with me. Leave your color/subject associations in a reply to this comment, could be a fun little debate! (also, English = blue) [[User:Zman350x|Zman350x]] ([[User talk:Zman350x|talk]]) 23:50, 6 February 2023 (UTC)

Science = Green (green flask bubbling)
Social Studies = Blue (blue and green globe, green is taking)
Math = Red (math is reliable, red is a strong color so i associate it with reliability)
English = Yellow (all other colors are taken)
Also electrons are blue [[User:Iffy|Iffy]] ([[User talk:Iffy|talk]]) 23:53, 6 February 2023 (UTC)

2734: Electron Color

2023-02-06T23:49:54Z

Iffy: added a sentence in the end of paragraph one

{{comic
| number = 2734
| date = February 6, 2023
| title = Electron Color
| image = electron_color_2x.png
| imagesize = 568x256px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = There's quark color, but that's not really color--it's just an admission by 20th century physicists that numbers are boring.
}}

==Explanation==

{{incomplete|Created by A SUPERINTELLIGENT SHADE OF THE COLOUR BLUE - Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

One common debate among schoolchildren is over the "color" of various subjects. Because of the brightly colored folders commonly used to separate subjects in the binder of a young student, the students tend to associate those colors with the subject. These associations can also correspond with common themes in the subject. Science could be seen as green as associated with the cartoon depiction of a flask containing bubbling green acid, or with leaves & plant life; history could be seen as red for association with the colors of the Roman Empire, or blood spilled during war. Many people will often end up heavily associating the subject with the color they assigned to it. Therefore, seeing somebody else color their subjects differently feels wrong.

This comic appears to "elevate" that discussion to the college level. Instead of arguing the colors of subjects, they're arguing the colors of parts of an atom. On many scientific diagrams, electrons are represented by yellow balls orbiting a gray and red center (as mentioned by the other students, some have associated the red with protons & gray with neutrons, while others have assumed the opposite).

On many scientific diagrams of atoms, the subatomic particles have assigned colours. Neutrons are generally red, green, or gray; protons red or green; and electrons yellow. Miss Lenhart, in Panel 2, states that, unlike the diagrams, which are coloured for convenience, the particles are not coloured. However, in Panel 3, she jokingly (or genuinely, the people have no facial expressions) says that electrons are yellow. Protons and neutrons are red or gray, so when, in Panel 3, Offpanel Voice 2 says that protons are red, O.V. 3 says they are gray, prompting an argument.

The title text refers to the {{w|color charge}} property of quarks, a property which is part of {{w|quantum chromodynamics}}. As mentioned by Randall, these have nothing to do with color as we know it, but is just a way to represent interactions between quarks.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:[Miss Lenhart teaching a class. Science Girl and Hairy sit at their desks.]
:Miss Lenhart: You have a question?
:Hairy: Yeah - what color are electrons and protons? Are they yellow? Red? Blue?

:[Zoom in on Miss Lenhart.]
:Miss Lenhart: Subatomic particles don't have a color.
:Miss Lenhart: They're too small to interact with visible light, so "color" isn't even defined for them.

:[Panel of just Miss Lenhart.]
:Miss Lenhart: That said, electrons are ''definitely'' yellow.
:Offpanel voice 1: I knew it!
:Offpanel voice 2: And protons are red, right?
:Offpanel voice 3: ''What?'' No! They're gray!

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Miss Lenhart]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Science Girl]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Chemistry]]
[[Category:Physics]]

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Talk:2734: Electron Color

2734: Electron Color