A color wheel, or a color circle, represents a palette of colors in chart form, arranged in a circle. A color wheel can display colors identified by two polar coordinates, the angle and the distance from the origin, the circle’s center.

Color wheels are convenient for comparing colors expressed in polar or cylindrical coordinates, like , , or .

In such cases, complementary colors are often found at opposite positions on the same diameter, and triadic colors (a set of three colors that complement each other) are evenly spaced around the color wheel. Similarly, monochromatic colors – colors of the same tone but of different shades – are located on the same radius.

Color wheels are used in real life when we want to choose between different hues. For example, when selecting wall paint or the color for a piece of furniture.

In the digital world, color wheels are used in color pickers, like the default one on macOS:

The default color picker on macOS

See also

Related glossary terms:

• the CSS data type

• Color theory and the color wheel

• How to Use the Color Wheel to Pick Your Perfect Color Palette on Better Homes & Gardens

• Color wheel on Wikipedia