What makes materials seem colored?

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Materials exhibit color primarily due to absorption and reflection of light; they absorb certain wavelengths and reflect others. However, color can also arise from other mechanisms such as luminescence, as seen in LEDs, or scattering, which explains why the sky appears blue. The specific mechanism responsible for a material's color can vary depending on its properties and the light it interacts with. Understanding these processes reveals the complexity behind why different materials appear in various colors. Overall, the perception of color in materials is influenced by multiple factors.
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I don't know the reason of materials' color? Why one matter is blue and another is red? Which mechanism is responsible for their color; Absorption, Luminescence, Scattering, Reflection?
 
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Short answer: It depends :)

Longer answer: In most cases, I would say that absorption / reflection is the reason that we see a certain color: if you shine white light (i.e. a mixture of all frequencies) onto a material, it will absorb some of the colors and reflect the rest. However, there are special cases in which the color is caused by another mechanism. For example, LEDs work by virtue of luminescence and the sky is blue because of scattering and not because it absorbs all other colors.
 
CompuChip said:
Short answer: It depends :)

Longer answer: In most cases, I would say that absorption / reflection is the reason that we see a certain color: if you shine white light (i.e. a mixture of all frequencies) onto a material, it will absorb some of the colors and reflect the rest. However, there are special cases in which the color is caused by another mechanism. For example, LEDs work by virtue of luminescence and the sky is blue because of scattering and not because it absorbs all other colors.
Thanks a lot.
 
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