Page 9 - Understanding light, colour and hair colour

White light travels until it hits an object where it is absorbed by that
object, the pigments that determine the colour of that object reflect the

corresponding wavelengths, telling the human eye the colour of that

object.

Proof of this can be clearly seen when four sheets of card of four

different colours white, red, green and blue are hit by the same white

light source, only the area where the light hits reflects the pigments with
the relevant wavelengths telling the Retina cone cells the colour reflected.

The area outside the beam of white light can only be seen as dark grey or
black by the rod cells of the Retina. (Please see Fig. 7)

Fig. 7

The above different colour card experiment helps us understand that all

wavelengths are absorbed and only the corresponding wavelengths to the

pigments in an object are reflected, this is the same for everything touched
by white light; from a tree to a human hair. Also, this experiment answers

how we view colour in the dark at night and in the daylight.

(Please see Fig. 8)