The color of materials is primarily determined by absorption and reflection mechanisms, where white light interacts with a material, absorbing certain wavelengths and reflecting others. In specific cases, luminescence, as seen in LEDs, and scattering, which explains the blue color of the sky, also play significant roles. Understanding these mechanisms is essential for grasping why different materials exhibit distinct colors under various lighting conditions.
PREREQUISITESStudents of physics, materials scientists, and anyone interested in the optical properties of materials and their interaction with light.
Thanks a lot.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.