Why do things get darker when they're wet, even though water is clear?

Answer 1

Take for example, water is poured onto a cloth. When the water comes into contact with the fibres of the material, it coats the cloth -- thus rendering the cloth's ability to reflect bright colours directly back to your eyes weakened. In fact, the water-coated cloth re-angles the light that would normally meet your eyes (light is oddly refracted by water), therefore the object is given a 'darkened' appearance to the human looking at it.

Answer 2

The only reason we can see things is due to the fact that certain objects reflect and absorb different wavelengths of light. If we see a blue item, all other colours ofthe spectrum are absorbed and blue is reflected.
When an item of clothing, for example, gets wet, there are millions of particles of water dispersed between the fibres of the material.
Basically when an item of clothing gets wet the water refracts the light that is being reflected to the eye and thus less light reaches the eye and the area appears darker.

Answer 3

It's a spiritual "birth," meaning becoming a new person. It is our cultural language game for signifying that this person has changed, and the ritual that goes with it (water baptism) symbolizes a second birth. It is a public confirmation that this person has been made brand new. And snice we remain sinners even after this occurs, we are being born again all the time, as we admit our mistakes and attempt to correct them and do better. We are constantly becoming new. The great thing about this metaphor is that no matter how far you have gone down any other path, no matter how evil you have been, there is always hope in being made new.

Answer 4

Water is clear, but it has a smooth surface. Cloth, stone, asphalt, conctrete - all the things that get darker are rough. Water on their surfaces smooth them and let light in and out without diffusion

Lets look at a gem stone, I cut it with a diamond saw and lay it aside.

When it is dry, it is powdery white. Wet it and it takes on the appearance it will have when I polish it.

Polished stuff, shoes, glass, coffee tables, do not get darker when they are wet.

Answer 5

Water only makes things darker if they are absorbant, and I assume it's simply because it makes the material more dense so it either doesn't reflect as much light or doesn't let it through.

If you poured water onto a lacquered piece of wood for example, it wouldn't go darker because it's water proof so the wood doesn't absorb the water.

Answer 6

This is due to thin film interference of light. A part of the light is lost due to the interference effect and thus the wet object appears dark.

Answer 7

Water clearness is disturbed by the thing you throw the water on. Light can't get trough. This causes it to appear dark.

Answer 8

because the fabric abosrbs the water and when things get wet the usually appear darker because of the dullness? idk

Answer 9

yes