I am confused as to how light would work in the following question:
Some very efficient streetlights contain sodium vapour under high pressure. They produce light that is mainly yellow with some red. Should a community having these lights buy dark blue police cars? Why or why not?
I'm guessing that the lights would make the cars look yellow???
If the police cars looked yellow, that means they are reflecting yellow light. Does blue reflect blue? What happens to yellow light on a blue surface. Why is grass green?
I will be happy to critique your thinking.
As a side note, yellow green is becoming a very popular color for fire engines. This is because....
So the cars will reflect blue light, but since no blue light is being emitted, they won't look blue? Since yellow light is a combination of red and green light, no blue is involved. One will not be able to see the police cars???
Thank you for your help!! :)!
excellent reasoning.
Thank you for your help! :)
To understand how the streetlights would affect the appearance of dark blue police cars, we need to consider the concept of color and how it interacts with light.
The streetlights in question produce light that is mainly yellow with some red. When light hits an object, such as a car, it can either be absorbed, transmitted, or reflected. The color of an object that we perceive is determined by the light that is reflected off it. In the case of dark blue cars, they absorb most of the light that hits them, particularly in the blue region of the visible spectrum.
Now, let's consider the yellow light produced by the streetlights. Yellow light consists of a specific range of wavelengths that fall between green and orange. If the dark blue police cars were illuminated only by yellow light, they would appear very dark or even black. This is because the blue paint on the cars absorbs most of the yellow light, resulting in minimal reflection.
So, if the community has streetlights that primarily emit yellow light, buying dark blue police cars might not be the most practical choice. The cars would not stand out and might even be difficult to see at night, potentially impacting their effectiveness in law enforcement scenarios. It would be more beneficial for the community to choose a car color that reflects more of the yellow light, making them more visible under the streetlights.
In summary, the streetlights' yellow light would make dark blue police cars appear very dark or black, making them less conspicuous under these specific lighting conditions.