How does the sun help fade colours from toys which have been left in the car?

Question

I use to have this novelty toy hanging on the side back window. It was originally dark blue but once it has been left in the car for awhile, the toy is not light blue. Now I have a pacman hat in the car and thinking of leaving it on the back of the car's window. It's yellow. Would that fade as well?

Answer 1

Some colors are made by organic dyes which are rather large molecules and thus suceptible to being damaged or broken apart by UV rays. That's usually the dye of choice for plastics, since they are also organic and so they'll mix and adhere well. The paint on cars is usually a metal oxide or some otherwise more simple, sturdy molecule that doesn't degrade (or at least much much slower).

Answer 2

Yes, the UV light will bleach most colors.
There are outdoor cloth that are dye to reisist fading, but it still will fade, just slower.

Answer 3

I thought sun rays bleach colours because of the UV rays...