Question
Carla shines a white light on a ripe banana and observes that it has a yellow color. Describe why a ripe banana has a yellow color when white light is shining on it.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The yellow color of a ripe banana can be explained by the way it interacts with light. White light is composed of various colors, which can be seen in a rainbow or through a prism. When white light shines on the banana, the banana's surface materials absorb certain wavelengths of light and reflect others.
In the case of a ripe banana, it has pigments, primarily carotenoids, that absorb specific wavelengths of light. These pigments absorb most of the blue and green wavelengths of light and reflect yellow wavelengths. Since yellow is the color that is reflected and not absorbed, it is the color that our eyes perceive when we look at the banana under white light.
Therefore, the yellow color of the banana is a result of this selective absorption and reflection: it absorbs the blue and green parts of the spectrum and predominantly reflects the yellow wavelengths, which is why we see it as yellow when illuminated by white light.
In the case of a ripe banana, it has pigments, primarily carotenoids, that absorb specific wavelengths of light. These pigments absorb most of the blue and green wavelengths of light and reflect yellow wavelengths. Since yellow is the color that is reflected and not absorbed, it is the color that our eyes perceive when we look at the banana under white light.
Therefore, the yellow color of the banana is a result of this selective absorption and reflection: it absorbs the blue and green parts of the spectrum and predominantly reflects the yellow wavelengths, which is why we see it as yellow when illuminated by white light.