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  • $\begingroup$ The wavelength/frequency of light of different colours are different. $\endgroup$
    – Gonenc
    Commented Jun 6, 2015 at 9:26
  • $\begingroup$ This much I had gathered, the question is about what singles out the primary colours. $\endgroup$
    – AJFaraday
    Commented Jun 6, 2015 at 9:28
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ I think from the position of physics they are all the same. It's basically a biological distinction. See also Is it only red, green and blue that can make up any color through additive mixture? $\endgroup$
    – Gonenc
    Commented Jun 6, 2015 at 9:31
  • $\begingroup$ The human colour space is three-dimensional (but some animals have 4,5 or even 20 dimensional colour spaces). Any three linearly independent colours can serve as basis, red-blue-green is just a rather convenient one with near maximum independence. $\endgroup$
    – Walter
    Commented Jun 6, 2015 at 10:41
  • $\begingroup$ Related: physics.stackexchange.com/q/16903/2451 and links therein. $\endgroup$
    – Qmechanic
    Commented Jun 6, 2015 at 11:25