HUE ANGLE DETERMINATIONS AND STATISTICAL

ANALYSIS FOR MULTIQUADRANT HUNTER L,a,b DATA

M.R. McLELLAN', L.R. LIND and R.W. KIME

Department of Food Science and Technology

Institute of Food Science
Cornell University
Geneva, New York 14456

Accepted for Publication September 4, 1994

ABSTRACT

Forpurposes of data analysis and data interpretation, it is important to have

uniform representation of hue derived from the Hunter L,a, b color space. Using
the standard calculation for hue [Arc tan(b/a)], positive signed results are
generated for the first quadrant [+a, +b] only. l 2 e other quadrants should be
handled so that a 360" representation is accommodated and results are
expressed as positive signed numbers. Second quadrant [-a, +b] and third
quadrant [-a, -bJ calculations should be: hue = I80+Arc tan(b/a). Fourth
quadrant [+a, -b] calculations should be: hue = 360+Arc tan(b/a). Further-
more when planning statistical analysis of data which transverse the IV and I
quadrant, vanformations of the data will continue increasing in hue angle from
361 " on up as high as appropriate. A spreadsheet macro for achieving these
results can be easily derived.

INTRODUCTION

In 1975, A.C. Little published "Off on a Tangent", which clearly presented

the concept of hue angle being derived from the arc tangent of b/a (angle 0) in
the Hunter L,a,b color space. The convention of using tan-' b/a for hue was
also described in detail elsewhere (Francis and Clydesdale 1975). In a similar
vein, Francis (1975) discussed the origin of tan-' a/b as a method of representing
hue. In general, these publications served to help standardize the reporting of
derived values for hue and chroma using the Hunter L,a,b system and settle on
tan-' b/a as the most desired method to report hue (Fig. 1). The hue angle
method of reporting color remains commonly used when there is a need to
present measurements of visual attributes. When performing first quadrant

'To whom correspondence should be sent.

Journal of Food Quality 18 (1995) 235-240. Aff Rights Reserved.

Copyright I995 by Food & Nutrition Press, Inc., Trumbull. Connecticut. 235
236 M.R. McLELLAN, L.R. LIND and R.W KIME

calculations the results of the hue angle derivation is highly reliable and easily
managed in statistical analysis. However, when sample measurements cross
quadrant boundaries, direct relationship between hue angle calculations based on
the above noted methodologies are not easily relatable unless quadrant changes
are accounted for such that a full 360" hue angle potential is used. By
accounting for the full 360" hue angle, virtually any change in hue is easily
interpreted and analyzable statistically. Appropriate management of quadrant
information is otherwise confusing.

Yellow
chroma
(90")
112
(a2+b2)
tb
4
Quadrant II Hue Angle
0= 180 + ArcTan(b/a)
/
0
,./- /
/

/-

// -,
/ Quadrant I Hue Angle
/ O=ArcTan(b/a)

I/ I1 / //
/
I \\,

Green / +a Red
(O", 360")
I I
I
\
\
I11 IV /I
/
\ I-
\ /
\\ 0

Quadrant Ill Hue Angle

0= 180 + ArcTan(b/a)
N
'
--- # /
0
Quadrant IV Hue Angle
0=360 + ArcTan(b/a)

-b
ie
(270")

FIG. 1 . THE HUNTER L,a,b SYSTEM DIAGRAM SHOWING ONLY THE a-b PLANE

The objective of this work was to devise a simple and easy method to take
the input of Hunter a and Hunter b values and derive a proper calculation of hue
angle, including quadrant compensation for use in statistical analysis where
linearity and consistency of scale are important.
 HUE ANGLE ANALYSIS O F HUNTER L,a,b DATA 237

METHOD

A macro language based on Microsoft Excel (Microsoft Corp. 1992) was

programmed to derive the hue value with quadrant sensitive compensation.
When constructed in this manner, the macro is considered a Function Macro.
The pH of a cherry wine sample was adjusted with 15.3 ml of 1N NaOH
followed by 2.12 ml of 0.5N NaOH. The color shift, as measured by the
HunterLab Colorimeter (Model D25-PC2A, Hunter Associates Laboratory,
Reston, VA), was noted periodically during the pH adjustment. Calculations of
hue and chroma were derived (Table 1). The hue calculation was based on the
macro as described above. The hue angle data were further transformed for
regression analysis and the transformed data were then fitted to a three degree
polynomial model.

TABLE 1.
CHERRY WINE SAMPLES, ADJUSTED BY pH, WITH HUE MEASUREMENTS MAKING
A TRANSVERSE MOVE FROM QUADRANT I TO QUADRANT IV

0.12 1 7.36 , 5.50 I 5.90 I -0.501 355.16 [ 355.16 1 5.92

0.40 i 8.01 : 5.00 I 4.70 I -1.30 I 344.54 1 344.54 I 4.88

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The function macro was used in a data spread sheet and referenced to the
associated Hunter a and b values. The result was the corrected hue angle based
on the appropriate quadrant. The macro accepted two arguments, which were
the Hunter a and Hunter b values, respectively. The Hunter a value was first
238 M.R. McLELLAN, L.R. LIND and R.W KIME

checked for its sign (-I+). If it was positive the macro proceeded to check the
sign of the Hunter b value. If it was positive then the macro calculated the arc
tangent in radians, and then converted the resultant to degrees for the proper hue
angle. If the check of the Hunter b value turned up a negative sign, then 360
was added to the arc tangent after being converted to degrees.
If the program identified a negative Hunter a value, then calculation of the
hue angle in degrees would be added to 180 and used for both quadrants I1 and
111. The only exception happens with a transverse set of data on the 0" (360")
point (quadrants I and IV border). In this transverse data set, measurements
change from the 359" to 0" or from 1" to 360". In Table 1, the sample of pH
adjusted cherry wine moves from a starting hue angle of 16.14" to a final value,
after adjustment, of 344.54". Clearly in this case the change of quadrant is
important in establishing the value of the final hue angle.
This technique would be helpful with other examples of hue measurements
as reported in the literature. In a report on blueberries as colorants, cultivars
were measured for hue and reported values ranged from a blue hue of - 6.8 to
a reddish hue of 3.6 (Francis 1985). If these values were treated with a quadrant
sensitive derivation, the values would be reported as ranging from 353.2 to 3.6,
which properly identifies the values as measurements from quadrant IV (270"
to 360") and from quadrant I (0"to 90").
Handling these data for statistical analysis requires adept interpretation of
the data trend prior to analysis. The quadrant IV to quadrant I transverse move
of the data was handled for statistical purposes by simply continuing the 360"
hue angle to values greater than 360". In other words, sample measurements
changing from quadrant IV into quadrant I would continue increasing in angle
from 361" on up as high as appropriate. Later after appropriate statistical
analysis, values greater that 360" could be transformed to the correct angle. In
Table 1, this type of data transform has been conducted on the cherry wine
sample in order to produce a continuous data set ready for analysis.
A three degree polynomial model was fit to the transformed data with an R2
of 0.996 based on the fitted 9 observations (Fig. 2). The cubic model predicting
hue of the cherry wine based on adjusted pH was:

Hue = 411.45 - 25.23(pH) + 5.89(pH)' - 0.47 (PH)~

An analysis of variance conducted on the model indicated a high degree of

significance with an F ratio of 493.48 and significance beyond the 99.99% level.
Application of the model to the hue data and subsequent analysis of variance
would not be possible without quadrant compensated calculation of hue value
and transformation of the hue to a linear change in degrees.
Hunter L,a,b data are not independent variables, and their use in straight
calculations of Analysis of Variance and regression should be cautioned because
 HUE ANGLE ANALYSIS OF HUNTER L,a,b DATA 239

3 8 0 (20)
c

3 4 5 6 7 8 9
PH
FIG. 2. PLOT OF POLYNOMIAL MODEL FIT TO HUE DATA EXPRESSED
AS CONTINUOUS DEGREE MEASUREMENTS

of this fact (Gill 1978; Francis and Clydesdale 1975; Francis 1994). Handling
the hue angle data using this quadrant compensation approach with a further
transformation of the data to a continuously linear scale during a quadrant IV to
quadrant I transverse ensures the proper analysis of data from the Hunter color
space based on independent variables of lightness, hue and chroma.

SUMMARY

The calculation of a hue angle from the Hunter L,a,b, color space should
be done by compensating for the quadrant in which the data appears. Further
transformation of the data during a transverse of the fourth and first quadrant is
required to arrive at a continuous data set appropriate for further statistical
analysis where linearity and consistency of scale are important.

REFERENCES

FRANCIS, F.J . 1975. The origin of tan-' a/b. J. Food Sci. 40,412.
FRANCIS, F.J. 1985. Blueberries as a colorant ingredient in food products. J.
Food Sci. 50, 754-756.
240 M.R.McLELLAN, L.R. LIND and R.W KIME

FRANCIS, F.J. 1994. Personal Communication. Dept. Food Science, Univ. of

Massachusetts, Amherst, MA.
FRANCIS, F.J. and CLYDESDALE, F.M. 1975. Food Colorimetry, Theory
and Applications, p. 208, Van Nostrand Reinhold/AVI, New York.
GILL, J.L. 1978. Design and Analysis of Experiments. The Iowa State
University Press, Ames, Iowa.
LITTLE, A.C . 1975. Off on a tangent. J. Food Sci. 40(2), 410-411.
Microsoft Corp. 1992. User’s Guide 2: Worksheet Analysis, Exchanging Data,
Customizing and Automating. Microsoft Corp., Redmond, WA.