What's the "Physics" answer to the question, "Why is water blue?"?

Question

I said refraction and looked like a ****in idiot!

Answer 1

Refraction is inaccurate, although water does do that.

This site explains it quite well:
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~etrnsfer/water.htm

White light is composed of all the colors, so when it is shone on the ocean by the sun, the water refracts the majority of the light, including the blue. However, it also scatters all the other colors besides blue, making them unnoticeable. Blue is reflected by the ocean's surface, making it blue; white light is refracted as it slows down, passing into a medium with a higher density, which is why in many corny movies, you see a spot of light shining straight down as you swim up. Despite the fact that light strikes the surface of the water at almost any angle that is not parallel to the normal, the light that's refracted is made parallel to the normal after refraction

Answer 2

Water appears blueish for several reasons. One is becasue it is reflecting the color of the sky. Another is because the algie and particles that are in the water relect the blue light from the sky. Another is because of the color of the container that it is in. It could be a combination of all or just one...it depends on the situation. If none of the conditions above hold..then water will appear as its true color...which is colorless. Hope that helps

Answer 3

Water is transparent.
How about the same reason the sky is blue?
Scattered light?

Answer 4

I HAVE TO GO WITH THE REFLECTION FROM THE SKY.I BELIEVE THE SUN IS MADE UP OF 6 COLORS,AT LEAST THAT'S HOW MANY ARE IN A RAINBOW,HITTING THE WATER AND GETTING A MIRROR REFLECTION.