Most people can distinguish between more than how many colors?

• A. 1 million
• B. 70 million
• C. 7 million
• D. 700 thousand

Answer: (C)

Humans perceive color through three types of cone cells in the retina, each tuned to different parts of the spectrum. The brain combines signals from these cones to create a rich range of color sensations, so we can distinguish millions of distinct colors. In fact, many sources place the number around the ten-million mark, though estimates vary with lighting and individual differences. Among the given options, seven million fits best because it’s in the same general range as the commonly cited millions of colors and is clearly higher than one million or seven hundred thousand, while not being as large as seventy million. This is why seven million is the best answer.