Light Properties:- Absorption - Why we see colors

Absorption of Light

Our world is full of colors?

Let's take a look at a property of light that allows us to see colors.

Check out this bright red car.

Do you think the red car is absorbing or reflecting the color red?

The car is actually absorbing all of the colors of the color spectrum except red.

Just as a quick reminder, the color spectrum also called the visible spectrum is made up of.

Red Orange Yellow Green  Blue Indigo Violet, or ROY G BIV.

So let’s look at a demo showing how absorption and color works.

If an object is transparent the light just passes through the object and is not absorbed. Glass is transparent and light passes through the glass and is not absorbed.

Now I will get these colored plastic lids and let’s see what happens.

This flashlight has a beam of light that contains all of the colors of the spectrum which is commonly called white light.

As the light passes through the blue lid all of the colors are absorbed except blue. Hence, the blue light. 

Same with the red lid except all of the colors are absorbed except red.

Now I will try something different. 

I have a beam of only red light.

Notice when I shine it through the red lid that it just passes through the lid, almost like it is transparent. That is because the red light is not absorbed.

Now notice what happens when I shine it through the blue lid.

It is absorbed and does not pass through.

Remember, how the white light passed through the lid, it is not opaque but translucent.

The red light is absorbed and does not pass through the lid.

So the red lid absorbs all of the colors except red and the blue lid absorbs all of the colors except blue.

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