I know know how colour gets into colour, becuase of the light reflection, but how do things know what frequency to reflect so we can see the colour?
2006-10-04 09:11:00 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Everything, due to the nature of its surface, either reflects or absorbs light frequencies at different rates.
The "thing" doesn't need to "know" what colour to reflect. A green leaf just reflects the electro-magnetic frequencies that we see as green. It absorbs most of the other frequencies.
2006-10-04 09:17:40 · answer #1 · answered by Rick 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When white light (that is a mixture of all the colours) falls on an object certain wave length are absorbed by that object. Which wave lengths are absorbed depends upon the chemical nature of the object. The object does not exercise any conscious thought about it of course but in as much that the chemical make up of the object is defined it 'knows' what wave lengths to absorb. Those wave lengths that are not absorbed are reflected and when they fall on the retina of the human eye they are perceived as the relevant colour.
2006-10-04 20:00:47 · answer #2 · answered by RATTY 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Certain atoms, in the reflecting material, absorb light of a certain frequency. The rest is reflected. We see that as the colour of the reflecting object.
2006-10-04 09:25:49 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
We've evolved to be able to see the frequencies which most things reflect during daylight, which is when we are most active. If we couldn't see those frequencies there would be no point in haveing eyes. So it's all about our bodies adapting to suit our surroundings rather than our surroundings adapting to suit our bodies. Animals which are mostly active at night are generally more sensitive to other frequencies which are more prevelent at night. It makes sense if you think about it, unless of course you've been brought up in a religious way that teaches creationism in which case you will probably never understand.
2006-10-04 09:24:23 · answer #4 · answered by mick.tripp 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because its brain on the left has a central nervous system that send messages to the rest of the colours and the frequeency goes like the speed of light
Does that answer your question?
2006-10-04 09:19:09 · answer #5 · answered by intelligensio 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The light doesn't... your eyes adapt to the change in light and its spectrum..there are many things our eyes cant see ... it don't mean there not "There"... Light , What ever spectrum is the same , it down to the "Receiver " of that light to make a picture in our minds.... A Barn Owl can see in the UV part ...( Grass is purple ,the sky is Black , But the mouse urine is yellow ! )...we all see things in very strange ways.
2006-10-04 09:26:27 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They don't know anything. They are not human. Certain atoms absorb certain wavelengths of light characteristic to them - the other wavelengths are reflected.
2006-10-04 09:16:28 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ya, the colors are just there and we have learned how to recognize them based upon the visual wavelength of colors for humans.
2006-10-04 09:21:37 · answer #8 · answered by Grev 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Colors are different wavelengths, and our eyes take in these different sized wavelenghts and process them as colours
2006-10-04 09:12:39 · answer #9 · answered by The infamous bongblaster 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Light (or electromagnetism) is a force of nature, which has no consciousness. It doesn't know anything or work toward a certain goal.
2006-10-04 09:16:45 · answer #10 · answered by Logan 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋