What is white? The color is due to the reflection of most wavelengths of visible light.
Bill Otto, former principal engineer, Lasers and Electro-optics at Boeing, explains more precisely: “In actual white objects, light is actually refracting (and reflecting) through extremely large numbers of small prisms or droplets of dielectric materials. Good examples are (1) a cloud of water droplets (2) a bowl of sugar crystals (3) a layer of snow. [Look carefully, and all that is there in a ‘white’ material is a lot of clear transparent refracting surfaces.] Most of the light is refracted around randomly, and eventually some of it, after several refractions and reflections, comes back in your direction. The same is true in a glass of milk, in white paint, and in white paper.”
For more of Bill’s explanation and diagrams, see
https://www.quora.com/Paper-is-white-because-it-reflects-all-light-and-mirrors-reflect-all-light-so-why-dont-they-look-the-same
I do not send any questionnaires with boxes for skin color before I take on a new student. If a student works with me and we like each other, a good relationship will begin.
Bill Otto, former principal engineer, Lasers and Electro-optics at Boeing, explains more precisely: “In actual white objects, light is actually refracting (and reflecting) through extremely large numbers of small prisms or droplets of dielectric materials. Good examples are (1) a cloud of water droplets (2) a bowl of sugar crystals (3) a layer of snow. [Look carefully, and all that is there in a ‘white’ material is a lot of clear transparent refracting surfaces.] Most of the light is refracted around randomly, and eventually some of it, after several refractions and reflections, comes back in your direction. The same is true in a glass of milk, in white paint, and in white paper.”
For more of Bill’s explanation and diagrams, see
https://www.quora.com/Paper-is-white-because-it-reflects-all-light-and-mirrors-reflect-all-light-so-why-dont-they-look-the-same
I do not send any questionnaires with boxes for skin color before I take on a new student. If a student works with me and we like each other, a good relationship will begin.
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