Optics: What is the color of the object as seen from under water?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the perception of color when viewing an object, specifically a green object, from underwater. Participants explore the effects of light refraction and wavelength changes as light transitions between water and air, questioning how these factors influence color perception.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants examine the relationship between light's wavelength and color perception, questioning whether the light's transition from water to air affects how colors are seen. There are discussions about the role of the eye's internal mediums and how they interact with light. Some participants suggest that the frequency of light may be more relevant than wavelength in determining perceived color.

Discussion Status

The conversation is ongoing, with various interpretations being explored. Some participants have provided insights into the relationship between wavelength, frequency, and color perception, while others express confusion about the implications of these concepts. There is no explicit consensus, but the dialogue is productive in examining the complexities of the topic.

Contextual Notes

Participants are grappling with assumptions about how light behaves when transitioning between different media and how this affects color perception. The original poster's question about the perceived color of an object viewed underwater has led to deeper inquiries about the nature of light and vision.

  • #31
As @jedishrfu pointed out, the color of light depends on the energy of the photons, E=hf, that is, on frequency f. As it is a very high number, and old spectrometers measured light intensity in terms of wavelength, we say that visible light is between 400 and 800 nm of vacuum wavelength, (λ0=c/f) The frequency of light does not change at refraction. The wavelength changes, but the color does not.
 
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