What Color Should You Use for Math? The Debate & Color Theory, Explained

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Learn why this simple question has divided the Internet
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The Internet loves getting into low-stakes debates, like wondering if cereal is a soup or how to pronounce GIF. The latest question that has people reconsidering their whole lives: what color is math? Students, teachers, and adults looking back on their school days are fiercely debating why math is red or blue (and which color folder to use for the subject). Below, we break down both sides of the debate, the colors of other subjects, and why we associate colors with school subjects to begin with.

What color is math?

While there’s no right answer, many people associate math with red or blue. Red is a fiery color that evokes strong emotions, just like the subject of math does. However, some people find math calming and logical, so they associate it with blue. Which color you think math is likely depends on childhood associations.

Section 1 of 6:

Is math red or blue?

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  1. There’s no one right answer to the “What color is math?” debate—though people strongly defend their responses on social media. [1] The way your school or teachers color-coded subjects, the emotional or symbolic associations you have with each color, and your subconscious feelings about the subject of math may influence your answer.
    • The social media debate involves what colors people associate with different school subjects, but is also commonly posed in terms of which color folder they would use for each subject. [2]
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Section 2 of 6:

Why Math is Red

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  1. For many people, math is one of the most challenging subjects, especially in higher education. [3] Thus, you may think of red when you think of math because you’re remembering the stress and anxiety you felt in difficult math classes. The color red is associated with passion, but also has ties to aggression and stress. [4]
    • It may also be the case that you happened to use a red notebook, binder, or folder for your math classes as a child, making you subconsciously associate the color with the subject.
Section 3 of 6:

Why Math is Blue

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  1. Not everyone struggles with math—and those who enjoy the subject might find a sense of calm in the neat consistency of solving problems. If you find math relaxing and serene, you may associate it with blue because the color evokes the same feelings as the subject for you. [5]
    • It’s also possible that your teacher color-coded the subject as blue by using blue worksheets and books. Or, you chose to use blue notebooks and folders for the subject, developing a subconscious association between the color and the subject.
    • Beyond color associations, math fans may even see the math formulas in a positive light. One study found that mathematicians’ emotional brain centers—the same area of the brain activated when appreciating beauty in art—were activated by math equations they rated as beautiful. [6]
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Section 4 of 6:

What colors are other subjects?

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  1. The debate usually begins with the premise that the color options are red, yellow (or orange), green, and blue, and the subject options are math, English, history (or social studies), and science. [7] Many TikToks and X posts debate which color each subject is, but common answers suggest English and math are each red or blue, science is yellow or green, and history is green or orange. [8]
Section 5 of 6:

Why do we associate subjects with colors?

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  1. While not a medical condition, synesthesia describes a phenomenon in which people feel like two unrelated senses are connected—for example, tasting numbers by experiencing a flavor when you see or think of them. Grapheme-color synesthesia is a type of synesthesia in which graphemes (letters, numbers, or symbols) are seen as colors. This phenomenon could explain why some people feel strongly about what color math is. [9]
    • Want to know if you have synesthesia? Take our quiz to find out!
  2. Teachers considering the “What color is math?” debate may be biased by their own classroom system. Many educators use colorful bins and folders in their classroom to organize tests and assignments for different subjects. [10] Students also frequently color-code supplies by subject to stay organized and remember which supplies are for which subject. Color-coding is especially helpful for children with learning differences like ADHD. [11]
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Section 6 of 6:

When did the math color debate start?

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  1. However, the debate went viral in 2022, when Twitter user @jackiantonovich asked users which folder colors they’d assign to their school subjects. [12] The trivial question made its way to national news segments, as anchors and audiences debated if math was red, blue, or another color. [13] Since 2022, the question, “What color is math?” trends on TikTok occasionally. [14]

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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.buzzfeed.com/hannahdobro/colors-you-associate-with-school-subjects
      2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Q9ey2d1drFg
      3. ↑ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342888714_What_Makes_Mathematics_Difficult_as_a_Subject_for_most_Students_in_Higher_Education
      4. ↑ https://www.colorpsychology.org/red/
      5. ↑ https://www.colorpsychology.org/blue/
      6. ↑ https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-26151062
      7. ↑ https://www.buzzfeed.com/hannahdobro/colors-you-associate-with-school-subjects
      8. ↑ https://www.tiktok.com/discover/what-colors-go-with-each-subject
      9. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/24995-synesthesia
      1. ↑ https://www.3rdgradethoughts.com/2012/08/keeping-organized-with-color-coding.html
      2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_RbzEA0Bzc
      3. ↑ https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/what-color-is-english-math-science-history
      4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Q9ey2d1drFg
      5. ↑ https://www.tiktok.com/discover/math-is-red-math-is-blue-trend-explained?lang=en

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