Most colors have three dimensions— hue, tone, and which?

• A. Saturation
• B. Brightness
• C. Luminosity
• D. Clarity

Answer: (A)

The thing being tested is how color is described by three attributes: hue, tone (lightness), and the remaining dimension that defines how pure or intense the color is. That third dimension is saturation. It measures how strong or washed-out the hue appears. A color with high saturation looks vivid and pure, while one with low saturation appears muted or grayish. This is what distinguishes a bright, intense color from the same hue at a softer, duller level.

Brightness (or lightness) deals with how light or dark the color is, which is a separate aspect from how pure the color is. Luminosity and clarity aren’t the standard terms used to describe color intensity in this framework, so they don’t fill the same role as saturation.