why a purple flower appears purple when white light shines on it.

Because it's secretly a feminist

what is the answer

the flower absorbs purple light

When white light shines on a purple flower purple light is reflected back.

When white light, which contains all colors of the visible spectrum, shines on an object like a flower, the color we perceive depends on the wavelengths of light that are absorbed and the wavelengths that are reflected or transmitted.

In the case of a purple flower, it appears purple because it absorbs most colors of light in the visible spectrum except for purple light. Instead of absorbing purple light, the petals of the flower reflect or transmit it, and that is what our eyes perceive as the color purple.

To understand this phenomenon, we can break it down into a few steps:

1. White light consists of a combination of different colors, each having a different wavelength.

2. When white light encounters the petals of the flower, the different wavelengths of light interact with the atoms and molecules present.

3. The atoms and molecules in the flower petals have specific energy levels. They can absorb certain wavelengths of light, causing electrons to move to higher energy levels.

4. The absorbed wavelengths do not contribute to what we perceive as the color of the flower since they are not reflected or transmitted back to our eyes.

5. However, for purple light, its wavelength matches the energy levels of the atoms or molecules in the flower. As a result, purple light is not absorbed and instead is reflected or transmitted back.

6. Our eyes receive the reflected or transmitted purple light, and our brain interprets it as the color purple, giving us the perception of a purple flower.

It's important to note that the color of an object depends on the wavelengths of light it reflects or transmits, as well as the wavelengths it absorbs. This interaction between light and matter is what determines the appearance of colors in our everyday environment.