- Definition
Intensity describes how bright or dull a color is; a very bright color has high intensity, while a muted color has low intensity. You can make a color look brighter by putting it next to its opposite color, or duller by mixing in a tiny bit of its opposite.
A bright, fire-engine red has a high intensity, while a dull, brownish red has a low intensity.
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: Intensity is like the difference between colouring lightly with a crayon for a soft colour and pressing hard for a super bright, strong colour.
Ask your child: Which colour here looks like it's shouting the loudest?
Common mix-up: Kids may confuse intensity with how light or dark a colour is. Intensity is really about how bright and pure a colour looks, like a fire-engine red versus a dusty, brick red.
Examples
- A bright, sunny yellow has a high intensity.
- An olive green is a low-intensity colour compared to a bright lime green.
- Placing a bright orange next to a bright blue makes both colours look even more intense.
intensity is a term used in Ontario’s Kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum.
Where this shows up
The descriptions on this page are SmartStudy’s own original, plain-language writing — not the Ministry’s wording. They are aligned to the Ontario Curriculum, © King’s Printer for Ontario. For the Ministry’s official wording, see the source link below. SmartStudy is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Government of Ontario or the Ministry of Education. Ontario Curriculum and Resources ↗
