Colour And The Optical Properties Of Materials:... -

A leaf looks green because chlorophyll absorbs blue and red light, reflecting the green. 2. Refraction

The bending of light as it passes from one medium to another. Measures how much light slows down. Colour and The Optical Properties of Materials:...

Microscopic patterns in butterfly wings or peacock feathers cancel out some colors and amplify others. 🏗️ Material Classes Material Type Typical Interaction Visual Result Metals High electron density reflects almost all light. Shiny, opaque, often "silvery." Semiconductors Absorption depends on "band gap" energy. Can be transparent (glass) or opaque (silicon). Polymers Long chains often allow light to pass through. Usually transparent or translucent unless dyed. 💡 Practical Applications A leaf looks green because chlorophyll absorbs blue

Optical properties describe how a material interacts with light, which ultimately determines the colors we see. This interaction is governed by the material's atomic structure and how its electrons respond to electromagnetic radiation. 🎨 Why Do We See Color? Measures how much light slows down

Different colors bend at different angles (like a prism creating a rainbow). 3. Scattering Light is deflected in many directions by small particles.