Chapter 18

Lesson 1 : light, matter and color

1. What is light ?
Light is electromagnetic radiation that you can see.
A photon is a particle of electromagnetic radiation.
The frequency of a light wave depends on the amount of energy carried by a photon of light.
Light waves can carry energy through space and some matter.
Light travels as waves moving away from a source.
You can see an object if it is luminous or if it is illuminated.
2. Light and matter
transparent material translucent material opaque material
rial ta allows almost all the lightAthat
material
strikest allows most ofAthe material
light thr which light does not pass
it to pass through (glass) that strikes it to pass through ( (wood , metal )
uplastics with textured
surfaces)

The passage of light through an object is called transmission.

The transfer of energy by a wave to the medium through which it travels is called absorption. All
materials absorb some of the light that strikes them.

Reflection is the bouncing of a wave off a surface.

3. Light and color

Colors you see result from wavelengths of light that enter your eyes.
The color you see always depends on the color of light that the object reflects.
Visible light is electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths of all colors of the rainbow.
The longest wavelengths of light appear red.
Violet has the shortest wavelengths.
White light is a mixture of all wavelengths of light.
Colors you see result from wavelengths of light that enter your eyes.
Opaque Objects
Suppose white light strikes a box of crayons.
Each crayon absorbs all wavelengths of light except its color.
For example, the green crayon absorbs all colors except green.
The green wavelengths of light reflect back into your eyes, and you see green.
The red crayon absorbs all colors except red, and it reflects red.
The black crayon absorbs all colors.
 The color of an opaque object is the color of light it reflects

Question :What do you think would happen to the colors of the crayons if you shined red light,
instead of white light, on them? Would the green crayon still appear green?

Answer : No. It would absorb the red light, but there would be no green light to reflect.
The green crayon would appear black.
The blue crayon also would appear black.
The red crayon and the white crayon would appear red because they would reflect the red light.
The color you see always depends on the color of light that the object reflects.

Transparent and translucent objects

The color of a transparent or translucent object is the color it transmits.
Mixing pigments produces many different shades as certain wavelengths are absorbed and fewer
colors are reflected to your eyes.

Cyan, magenta, and yellow are the primary pigments

Red, green, and blue are the primary light colors

If you shine equal amounts of red light, green light, and blue light at a white screen, each color reflects
to your eyes.

Where two of the colors overlap, both wavelengths reflect to your eyes, and you see a different color.

Where the three primary colors of light overlap, all colors reflect and you see white light

•
1. What color do you see in the center of the combined pigments? Black
2. What does this color represent? it represents that all color is absorbed and none is reflected
3. What color do you see in the center of the combined colors of light ? white
4. What does this color represent ?it represents what happens when all the three primary colors of light
are reflected.
5. What is the result of adding any two primary pigments ?
Yellow and magenta produce red.
Magenta and cyan produce blue.
Cyan and yellow produce green.

Remarks :

• The sun, a lightbulb, lightning, or glow sticks produce their own light.
• Some sources of light: the sun, a lightbulb and a firefly
• Unless there is illumination or a light source, you would not be able to see anything.
• Light travels as waves that spread out from a source. Light travels in a straight line, but it can spread out
slightly when it moves around a barrier or through small spaces.
• You can see clearly through a glass window because glass is transparent , it allows almost all the light
that strikes it to pass through and form a clear image.
• You can see a clear image through a transparent object. The image is not clear when see through a
translucent object.
• The window absorbs some of the sun’s light energy, which heats the window.
• Transparent and translucent objects allow the transmission of light.
• The glass is transparent and transmits reflected light from the objects inside the store.
• White light on a green object makes it appear green.
• An opaque object absorbs all wavelengths of light except those of the object’s color.
• Colored light can change the color of the object.
• A blue glass window appear blue because the wavelengths of white light that passes through it are
partially absorbed except for blue light, which reflects and passes into the eye.
• The 3 primary colors of light are: red, green and blue.
• Opaque objects have the color of light that they reflect. A transparent or translucent object has the
color of light that it transmits.
Lesson 1 review page 640
1. An opaque object either reflects or absorbs almost all of the light that strikes it, but it doesn’t transmit
light.
A transparent object transmits almost all of the light that strikes it.
2. Transmission
3. Visible light
4. C.
5. A blue book is opaque and absorbs all colors of light except blue, which it reflects.
It does not transmit any light . a blue stained glass window transmits and reflects only blue light.
6. The object can transmit, absorb or reflect light.
7. Because these are the three primary colors, no light gets through where the filters overlap.
8. Opaque, transparent, translucent.
9. The diagram should show rays of light with all wavelengths striking the object. The rays of yellow
light reflect off the object. The rays of other wavelengths do not reflect.