Color appearance of white light is described by?

The color appearance of white light is primarily described by color temperature. This metric indicates whether the light source appears warm (yellowish) or cool (bluish) by measuring the color of the light emitted in relation to an ideal black body radiator at a specific temperature, expressed in degrees Kelvin (K).

Color temperature provides insights into how a light source will visually appear in a given environment and affects the ambiance of the space. For instance, a light source with a low color temperature, such as 2700K, gives off a warm, inviting glow, reminiscent of incandescent lighting, while a higher color temperature, like 5000K or more, produces a cooler, daylight-like effect.

While other factors like the Color Rendering Index (CRI) can also influence our perception of light quality, CRI specifically measures how true colors appear under a specific light source compared to natural light, rather than describing the color appearance of the light itself. This distinction highlights why color temperature is the more appropriate descriptor in this context.