Why do light color bounce off?

Answer 1

Light reflects because as the electromagnetic wavefront hits the material the electrons within the material start to vibrate(A charged particle in an electric field better vibrate...no?) and an accelerating charged particle gives off EM radiation by nature in all directions (Technically more light in certain directions than others, but close enough) and these new EM waves are the ones you see.

(verification needed, but at least its better then the old answer of "its shiny")

Answer 2

Light can pass through many different types of materials. The reason why light can't pass through metal, or some plastics is not due to anything but the chemical properties of the material and the physical properties. If the conditions are right, any form of light can pass through a given material.

The reason why the chemical properties matter is that certain atoms absorb certain frequencies of light more readily than others. This can mean the difference between passing through a material or being absorbed and remitted. Other than this, there is really no other chemical factor that prohibits the passing of light. For example, water absorbs low frequency light (infrared) better and more readily than visible light. This is why many plastics will appear opaque to our eyes, yet will absorb others and appear opaque.

The physical properties of the substance matters a great deal. The less dense a material is, the better the chance is that it will allow light to pass through it. Gasses are a great example. They let almost every frequency pass through. This is why when you use infrared cameras you cannot see the air, because it is not absorbing and releasing much of the radiation, but is letting it pass through, almost as if the medium wasn't there. Yet metals let few frequencies through, and are very compact. Many liquids filter the frequencies.

Ultimately it comes down to which frequencies are absorbed readily, and how dense is the material. Too dense and nothing will pass through. Ready to absorb many frequencies and it will not let any pass through.

Answer 3

The question is slightly wrong.

Objects are SHINY when they Reflect light. So any object that reflects light is supposed to be called

shiny. And why do some objects reflect light depends whether they are smooth or rough. And also it depends upon the property of matter. Generally if you have a opaque object that is frictionless does not absorb light and sends it back. Every object reflect, transmits, or lets some amount of light.. The property that dominates results in the final characteristic :)

Answer 4

Light is what we see as a result of certain wavelengths, each wavelength of the visible spectrum being a different colour.

Some atoms or molecules absorb some wavelengths (depends on the energy, each wavelength has a different energetic value) and don't absorb others. The ones that aren't absorbed are the colors we see.

For instance, black is the absent of colour. If an object is black, it's because it's absorbed all the wavelength. White is the complete opposite, it's all the colours, which can even be broken down when using a prism or by water droplets, causing a rainbow.

Sometimes some atoms give off a wavelength when the electrons in one energetic orbit change energy levels. Ionised matter does this. In that case, they are sort of producing their own light instead of reflecting it.

Answer 5

Solving mathematical equations for boundary conditions between two surfaces yields several reasons why light reflects. However, the math and theory behind reflection can get as complicated as quantum electrodynamics or as simple as geometrical optics, and I'm not sure at what level you want, or are currently able, to understand these mechanisms. That being said, I'll give a kind of in-between answer.

Light can be diffusely reflected from slightly porous materials in which the incident waves scatter around a whole bunch of times inside the material until they eventually find their way back out of the material, exiting in random directions. This effect is often seen in non-polished, non-metallic materials and is qualitatively described as an object appearing dull, as opposed to shiny.

Light can also be specularly reflected, which is the mechanism of reflection that produces sheen. This can also be described as mirror-like reflection. Certain materials, like metals, naturally, or via the means of polishing, don't allow light to penetrate them significantly. Therefore, the random scattering that occurs within porous materials doesn't occur, at least not as much, within these materials, and so the light is scattered back out of the material in the familiar "angle of incidence equals angle of reflection" manner. There really is no mathematically, or even qualitatively, easy way to describe why this occurs though. Electron band theory and quantum field theory provide the best descriptions of why, but they're beyond the scope of this answer.

Answer 6

Refraction occurs because the speed of light in different media are different.