Question

The color that we see when looking at a pigmented object is ______.
A) the wavelengths that are absorbed by the pigment
B) the wavelengths that are reflected or transmitted by the pigmented object
C) the wavelengths that have been raised to an excited state by the pigmented object
D) the wavelengths that the pigmented object created after interacting with sunlight

Answer 1

The correct answer is: B) the wavelengths that are reflected or transmitted by the pigmented object

Pigmented objects can absorb only specific wavelengths of visible light. The set of wavelengths that a pigment does not absorb are reflected, and that reflected light is what we see as color. For example, plants appear green to us because their pigments, chlorophyll a and b reflect green light.