How do different objects get their colours?

Answer 1

There are two main ways an object can have a visible color. One is that it can just intrinsically be that color because it absorbs light of other frequencies. This is due to its electronic structure (frequencies in the UV/visible region of the spectrum generally correspond to transitions between electronic energy states). The second, less common way is that it can be due to interference effects. Dichroic filters, the shifting colors seen on soap bubbles, and the blue color of some bird feathers work this way.