What’s the difference between pigments and light scattering structures?

224 viewsOtherPhysics

I saw a similar question being asked here but I understood absolutely none of the responses so I’m gonna ask for myself.

I often hear people saying that only brown and orange pigments exist, and all other colors are caused by light bouncing/scattering off certain microscopic structures and then hitting our eyes.

What I don’t understand is how brown and orange can exist without being scattered light??

Like- “brown animals are brown because they have brown pigments, blue animals are blue because that’s the color their coat bounces back at you”

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE.

I’m sorry if I’m not explaining myself well.

In: Physics

3 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

If you grind up a pigment, you end up with a powdered pigment the same colour as you started with because the colour comes from how light interacts with the electrons within the atoms. This can then be used in dyes and paints.

If you grind up a light scattering structure, you end up with a grey powder because the colour comes from how the light interacts with the arrangement of the atoms, which you’ve now destroyed.

You are viewing 1 out of 3 answers, click here to view all answers.