Cooldene, MEMBER
15, United States
0 poäng (VäTE)
April 27, 2009 07:36

What is color?

Why do different molecules reflect different colors of light?



jing_han, MENTOR
Vuxen, United States
0 poäng (VäTE)


Hi Cooldene,

Great question! Sorry this response came so late, maybe you've already got this question answered But just in case you haven't, here is a really good explanation:

http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/1999-12/945381672.Ch.r.html

The short version is, why different molecules reflect different colors has to do with a combination of the number of its atoms and its bond lengths. Different bonds make the molecule absorb and reflect different wavelengths of light. An example given in this link says:

"When ordinary white light falls on a blue copper sulfate crystal, the violet, indigo, blue, and green photons have too much energy to get the copper sulfate to its next energy level, while the red photons do not have enough energy. But the orange and yellow
photons have just the right amount of energy. So these colours are absorbed, and all of the other colours which are reflected or transmitted mix together to make the crystals look blue."

Hope this helps! This is actually quite a complicated question, so let me know if you need any clarification.

 
   
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Hi Cooldene,

Great question! Sorry this response came so late, maybe you've already got this question answered But just in case you haven't, here is a really good explanation:

http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/1999-12/945381672.Ch.r.html

The short version is, why different molecules reflect different colors has to do with a combination of the number of its atoms and its bond lengths. Different bonds make the molecule absorb and reflect different wavelengths of light. An example given in this link says:

"When ordinary white light falls on a blue copper sulfate crystal, the violet, indigo, blue, and green photons have too much energy to get the copper sulfate to its next energy level, while the red photons do not have enough energy. But the orange and yellow
photons have just the right amount of energy. So these colours are absorbed, and all of the other colours which are reflected or transmitted mix together to make the crystals look blue."

Hope this helps! This is actually quite a complicated question, so let me know if you need any clarification.

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jing_han, MENTOR
Vuxen, United States
0 poäng (VäTE)


Hi Cooldene,

Great question! Sorry this response came so late, maybe you've already got this question answered But just in case you haven't, here is a really good explanation:

http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/1999-12/945381672.Ch.r.html

The short version is, why different molecules reflect different colors has to do with a combination of the number of its atoms and its bond lengths. Different bonds make the molecule absorb and reflect different wavelengths of light. An example given in this link says:

"When ordinary white light falls on a blue copper sulfate crystal, the violet, indigo, blue, and green photons have too much energy to get the copper sulfate to its next energy level, while the red photons do not have enough energy. But the orange and yellow
photons have just the right amount of energy. So these colours are absorbed, and all of the other colours which are reflected or transmitted mix together to make the crystals look blue."

Hope this helps! This is actually quite a complicated question, so let me know if you need any clarification.

 
   
stdClass Object
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    [subject] => Re:What is color?
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Hi Cooldene,

Great question! Sorry this response came so late, maybe you've already got this question answered But just in case you haven't, here is a really good explanation:

http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/1999-12/945381672.Ch.r.html

The short version is, why different molecules reflect different colors has to do with a combination of the number of its atoms and its bond lengths. Different bonds make the molecule absorb and reflect different wavelengths of light. An example given in this link says:

"When ordinary white light falls on a blue copper sulfate crystal, the violet, indigo, blue, and green photons have too much energy to get the copper sulfate to its next energy level, while the red photons do not have enough energy. But the orange and yellow
photons have just the right amount of energy. So these colours are absorbed, and all of the other colours which are reflected or transmitted mix together to make the crystals look blue."

Hope this helps! This is actually quite a complicated question, so let me know if you need any clarification.

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Cooldene, MEMBER
15, United States
0 poäng (VäTE)


I don't really understand this part: "the violet, indigo, blue, and green photons have too much energy to get the copper sulfate to the next energy level..." what exactly is the next energy level?

 
   
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I don't really understand this part: "the violet, indigo, blue, and green photons have too much energy to get the copper sulfate to the next energy level..." what exactly is the next energy level?

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