
Energy exists all around us. Whether it’s electricity, sunlight, or movement, it’s everywhere. In our daily lives, we often describe energy as something we feel — a force that helps us get through the day. Energy is such a vital part of our society that even colors are connected to energy and vibrations.
It might seem surprising that the physical appearance of objects could hold energy. Yet, colors are far more than just pretty patterns. They connect to energy and vibrations in unique ways. Let’s explore how colors are linked to energy.
What Defines Energy?
The scientific definition of energy is “the ability to do work.” Powering machines, making things move, changing something’s temperature, producing sound, and turning lights on are just a few examples of the work energy can do.
There are two main types of energy: kinetic/working energy and potential/stored energy. Potential energy can become a type of kinetic energy. An example would be a bow and arrow. When someone pulls the bow and arrow back before releasing it, that’s potential energy, but once it’s released, that’s kinetic energy. Kinetic and potential energy can take on many forms, such as heat, light, motion, electrical, chemical, and gravitational.
Nearly everything that happens in the world involves some form of energy, even simple tasks that we don’t think deeply about. So, does this include the colors we see?
The Energy Behind Colors

Colors exist because of visible light, which is a form of energy. Like light, colors have energy. Whenever light shines on an object and makes us see it as a specific color, it uses energy.
On the visible light spectrum, every color has a unique wavelength and frequency. Violet is on one end of the spectrum with the shortest and most frequent wavelengths, while red is on the other end with the longest and least frequent wavelengths. All other colors fall in between, including blue, green, yellow, and orange.
The sun emits all of these frequencies at once. When light shines on an object, most visible wavelengths are absorbed, but some may reflect off the object toward our eyes to help us perceive a certain color. For example, if all wavelengths are absorbed except for red, red is the color we’ll perceive an object as. So, we’re only seeing the wavelengths that reflect off things.
The object’s properties and the way the light hits it make it appear colorful. Without light, we cannot perceive an object’s color. Thus, colors exist in objects because of energy.
How Is Light a Form of Energy?
Many people relate energy to feeling awake or using electronics. Yet, light shining on objects is also an important example of energy. Light is energy that travels as electromagnetic waves. Heated objects, such as the sun and light bulbs, emit light. It falls under the definition of energy because it can do work by illuminating an area.
Light is the only type of energy that the human eye can see. It’s a necessary form of energy that helps us view the world around us. When light shines on something, we can perceive its colors, and without the energy of light, our world would appear completely dark.
Light energy most commonly comes from the sun but can also be stored in buildings. When you turn on a light switch, electricity uses stored energy to illuminate the space. Whenever you see lights shining on something, colors are affected, too.
How Can We Perceive This Energy?

We perceive colors based on the light wavelengths that reflect off objects. Yet, how do our eyes see those wavelengths as colors? It’s because of the cones and rods in our eyes. Cone cells in our eyes help us see colors, while rod cells help us see in low-light conditions. The human eye has about 6 million cones divided into three types: red-sensing, green-sensing, and blue-sensing cones. These types of cones help you detect different wavelengths of light.
Not all creatures view colors the same way we do. Some animals have fewer types of cone cells than humans, while others have more. For example, dogs only have two cone types, allowing them to see shades of blue and yellow but not red and green. Then, the mantis shrimp has 16 color-receptive cones, possibly letting them perceive colors we can’t even imagine.
Therefore, when light’s energy reflects off objects, our eyes work with our brains to help us perceive the colors around us.
Which Color Wavelengths Have the Most Energy?
All colors have energy, but not all colors are equal in that regard. At first glance, you might assume that colors like red or orange have the most energy because they feel bold and energetic. However, when it comes to color wavelengths, it’s actually the opposite.
On the visible light spectrum, the shortest wavelengths have more energy, while the longest ones have less energy. So, violet is the color with the most energy, and red is the one with the least. Shorter wavelengths have more energy because they have higher frequencies. In the time it takes one red wavelength to pass, roughly two violet wavelengths go by.
The Link Between Colors and Vibration

Energy is associated with vibrations because atoms vibrate to create energy. Even though light doesn’t feel like anything to us, it’s still a form of vibration. Electrons move and cause vibrations, allowing us to see light and, therefore, colors. The speed of the vibrations determines which wavelengths occur.
Faster vibrations (more energy) result in violet, while slower vibrations (less energy) result in red. Everything else falls in between, such as orange and yellow leaning toward slower (since they’re close to red) and green and blue leaning toward faster (since they’re close to violet). The vibrations can be even faster or slower than visible colors to create wavelengths we can’t see, such as radio waves and gamma rays.
These vibrations are so small that we can’t feel them. We can feel other energy vibrations, such as the vibrations of loud music because sound waves are much larger and longer than light wavelengths. Plus, they’re perceived using a different sense (hearing instead of sight).
Even though we can’t feel the vibrations of colors, they’re occurring all around us. Every time light shines on an object, we perceive it as a color because of the atoms vibrating and creating energy.
Understanding Color Energy Beyond the Physical

Energy isn’t just something that powers the objects we use. It can also be described as something people have. Energy gives us strength and vitality to power our physical and mental well-being. However, people also describe energy as something that can’t physically be proven, such as saying someone is giving off a certain energy.
When it comes to colors and energy, many people also believe that each individual person emits a certain colored energy or aura. A person’s aura color reflects their personality and well-being. While there’s no scientific evidence for this theory, people often believe in it because it’s part of their culture or because it’s something that helps them understand themselves better.
Here are some examples of what a person’s color energy could represent:
- RED – Energetic, Passionate, Determined
- ORANGE – Friendly, Optimistic, Creative
- YELLOW – Happy, Playful, Charismatic
- GREEN – Nurturing, Loving, Compassionate
- BLUE – Peaceful, Supportive, Perceptive
- PURPLE – Intuitive, Wise, Artistic
While this type of color energy is very different than scientific color energy, it’s still a concept that many people find fascinating. Color psychology and symbolism often provide a lot of useful insight, so viewing people as colored energies can be beneficial for certain individuals to reflect on themselves and their development.
Overall, colors link to energy in more ways than one, both from a scientific standpoint and a psychological one. After all, colors are an important part of our lives and the world around us.
How We Benefit From the Energy of Colors

The science behind colors and their relationship to energy seems complicated. Yet, for those who see color every day, they’re simply a natural part of life. Most people probably don’t think twice about the energy of colors surrounding them. So, why does light even contain color energy? Does it provide a benefit to us?
Besides looking nice, being surrounded by colors and energy can also provide physical and mental benefits. Colors have deep meanings, symbolism, and associations that can affect us. For example, being surrounded by blue might provide us relaxation, while bright red could make us feel energetic.
People who have never experienced colors learn to perceive the world differently. Yet, if you’ve always seen colors, they may shape the way your mind works. We learn to associate specific objects with particular colors, which helps us distinguish between them and categorize them more easily.
Color energy surrounds us, often making our lives easier and more enjoyable. All colors have energy and result from light, which is why we are fortunate enough to experience such a vibrant, colorful world.