Ch. 2 section 2Visible Light and Color

Visible light When light strikes an object, the light

can be ….. Reflected Transmitted absorbed

Most materials can be classified as transparent, translucent, or opaque based on what happens to light that strikes the material.

Transparent materials – transmits most of the light that strikes it. If a transparent medium has impurities or imperfections in it, it can scatter some of the light.

Translucent materials – scatters light as it passes through. You can usually see something behind a translucent object, but the details are blurred.

Opaque materials – reflects or absorbs all of the light that strikes it. You cannot see through opaque materials.

The color of Objects The color of an opaque object is the

color of the light it reflects. Objects can appear to be a different

color if you view them in a different color of light.

Combining Colors Primary colors : 3 colors that can combine

to make any other color. Secondary colors : 2 primary colors

combine in equal amounts produce this. When combined in equal amounts, the 3

primary colors of light produce white light. A primary and a secondary color can

combine to make white light – these are called complementary colors.

Mixing Pigments Inks, paints, and dyes contain pigments

(colored substances that are used to color other materials)

Pigments absorb colors and reflect the colors that we see.

Mixing colors of pigments is different from mixing colors of light.

As pigments are added together, fewer colors of light are reflected and more are absorbed – making it look darker.

Cyan, yellow, and magenta are primary colors of pigments.

Secondary colors of pigments are red, green and blue.