Match the Colour
Learn that a mixed colour depends on the ratio of the paints, not the amount: 1 red to 2 yellow looks the same as 2 red to 4 yellow.
Before you try
What if you used twice as many drops of every paint? Would the colour change?
Try it out
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What happened?
Move a control to see what changes and why.
Colours come from a simple paint model with eight fixed colours, and the match is judged by a colour-difference formula. A real paint match also depends on the paint brand, the paper and the light.
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Try these ideas
- Match a colour, then wash the bowl and match it again using twice as many drops.
- Before squeezing, predict which tubes you will need. Use Hint to check.
- Find a level that needs all three primary colours. What kind of colour is it?
Why it works
Every colour on the card has a recipe: so many drops of red, yellow, blue and white. The game shows how close your bowl is with a face that gets happier as you get nearer, and gives up to three stars for a close match.
The secret is the ratio. One drop of red with two of yellow gives the same colour as two of red with four of yellow, because the share of each paint is the same. This is the same idea as ratios and proportions in maths.
The levels build up: equal mixes first, then uneven mixes, tints with white, soft pastels, and finally browns and greys that need all three primary colours.
Topics covered: colour matching game, paint mixing ratios, colour mixing game, ratio and proportion, tints and shades.
Check your understanding
Question 1 of 3
A recipe is 1 red and 2 yellow. Which mix makes the same colour?
Your orange is too red. What should you add?
Which paints do you need for a grey or brown?
Explain it in your own words
What changed? Why did it happen? Where might you notice this in everyday life?
For parents & teachers
- Ask your child to write a recipe as a ratio, for example 2 : 1, and then double it.
- Discuss where recipes and ratios matter in real life: cooking, cement, paint shops.
- Try mixing a matching colour with real paints and compare it with the screen.