Three characteristics that are commonly used to distinguish one color from another are hue, saturation, and brightness. Hue is an attribute associated with each of the dominant wavelengths of the spectrum. Saturation pertains to relative purity, or the amount of white light mixed with a hue. High-saturation colors contain little or no white light. Brightness refers to intensity, distinguished by the degree of shading. Hue and saturation, taken together, are called chromaticity. Accordingly, a color may be characterized by its chromaticity and brightness.