If red and green lights are shining on a red apple, what happens to the red and green lights?
A. Both colors are absorbed
B. Both colors are reflected.
C. Red is reflected and green is absorbed.
D. Green is reflected and red is absorbed.
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is C. Red is reflected and green is absorbed.
When light shines on an object, the object interacts with the light in different ways. The color we perceive an object to be is determined by the wavelengths of light that are reflected by the object. A red apple appears red because it reflects light from the red part of the visible spectrum and absorbs other colors, like green and blue.
Now, when red and green lights are shined on the apple, the apple’s surface reacts to each wavelength of light in a specific way. The surface of the red apple contains pigments that absorb most of the other colors in the spectrum, except for red light, which is reflected. Therefore, when red light hits the apple, it is reflected back to our eyes, which is why the apple appears red.
On the other hand, the green light is mostly absorbed by the pigments in the apple’s skin. The green wavelengths do not get reflected; instead, they are absorbed into the apple’s surface, and no green light is sent back to the viewer’s eyes. This is why the green light does not contribute to the apple’s color appearance.
This process is an example of selective absorption and reflection, where the apple absorbs all wavelengths of light except for the red wavelength, which it reflects. This is why, even under the combined red and green light sources, the apple will still appear red, with the green light being absorbed.