What colors do you use in class when teaching electromagnetism? For many physics educators we simply use what we learned or what is used in the textbook. Browsing through a large collection of introductory physics textbooks reveals that the vast majority use red for the electric field, blue for the magnetic field, and some shade of green for the electric potential. These color choices, although common, may be confusing to students with color vision deficiency. Color vision deficiency (CVD), often incorrectly referred to as color blindness, affects roughly 6% of physics majors (calculated from Refs. 2–4). For people with red/green CVD, the fall colors (red, orange, yellow, green) collapse into shades of yellow. In addition to yellows, those with red/green CVD can perceive blues (and blacks and whites), hence they are not color “blind.” Using an alternative color palette when teaching electromagnetism is a quick and easy way to facilitate the learning of students with CVD.

1.
The textbooks examined that use red for theE-field, blue for theB-field, and green forV: 
Randall D.
Knight
,
Physics for Scientists and Engineers: A Strategic Approach,
4th ed. (
Pearson
,
2020
)
Randall D.
Knight
,
Brian
Jones
, and
Stuart
Field
, College Physics: A Strategic Approach, 3rd ed. (
Pearson
,
2014
)
Douglas C.
Giancoli
, Physics for Scientists and Engineers, 4th ed. (
Prentice Hall
,
2008
)
Douglas C.
Giancoli
, Physics: Principles with Applications, 7th ed. (
Pearson
,
2013
).
Textbooks examined that use a variation of this color pattern:
H.
Young
and
R.
Freedman
,
University Physics
, 15th ed. (
Pearson
,
2019
)
Note:V is also blue ;
E.
Etkina
,
G.
Planinsic
, and
A.
Van Heuvelen
,
College Physics: Explore and Apply
, 2nd ed. (
Pearson
,
2018
),
Note:V is also red ;
James S.
Walker
,
Physics
, 2nd ed. (
Prentice Hall
,
2003
)
Note:E is purple ;
P.
Fishbane
,
S.
Gasiorowicz
, and
S.
Thornton
,
Physics for Scientists and Engineers,
3rd ed. (
Pearson
,
2005
)
Note: E is purple and V is dark blue; and 
E.
Mazur
,
Principles and Practice of Physics
(
Pearson
,
2014
), Note: V is black.
2.
J.
Birch
, “
Worldwide prevalence of red-green color deficiency
,”
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A
29
,
313
320
(
2012
).
3.
A. M.
Porter
and
R.
Ivie
, “
Women in Physics and Astronomy, 2019
” (American Institute of Physics,
2019
), https://www.aip.org/statistics/reports/women-physics-and-astronomy-2019.
4.
American Physical Society
, “
Physics Degrees by Race/Ethnicity
,” https://www.aps.org/programs/education/statistics/degreesbyrace.cfm.
5.
K.
Berisso
, “
Addressing color blind awareness in the classroom
,”
J. Bus. Manage. Sci.
6
,
93
99
(
2018
).
6.
T.
Zorn
and
D.
McMurtrie
, “
Color deficiency within the classroom
,”
South Carolina Ass. Middle Level Educ. (SCAMLE) J.
21
25
(
2019
).
7.
P. Grassivaro
Gallo
,
S.
Oliva
,
P. B.
Lantieri
, and
F.
Viviani
, “
Colour blindness in Italian art high school students
,”
Percept. Motor Skills
95
,
830
834
(
2002
).
8.
L.
Maule
and
D.
Featonby
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Colour vision deficiency and physics teaching
,”
Phys. Educ.
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,
1
9
(
2016
).
9.
D. A.
Smith
and
J.
Melrose
, “
Astronomy with the color blind
,”
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52
,
566
557
(Dec.
2014
).
10.
D.
DePaor
,
P.
Karabinos
,
G.
Dickens
, and
C.
Atchison
, “
Color vision deficiency and the geosciences
,”
GSA Today
27
,
42
43
(
2017
).
11.
J.
Nathans
,
D.
Thomas
, and
D. S.
Hogness
, “
Molecular genetics of human color vision: The genes encoding blue, green, and red pigments
,”
Science
232
,
193
202
(
1986
).
12.
W. D.
Wright
, “
The characteristics of tritanopia
,”
J. Opt. Soc. Am.
42
,
509
521
(
1952
).
13.
D.
van Norren
and
L. N.
Went
, “
New test for the detection of tritan defects evaluated in two surveys
,”
Vision Res.
21
,
1303
1306
(
1981
).
14.
L. N.
Went
and
N.
Pronk
, “
The genetics of tritan disturbances
,”
Hum. Genet.
69
,
255
262
(
1985
).
15.
M.
Wickline
, “
Coblis—Color Blindness Simulator
” (
2001
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