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Showing posts with the label diffuse reflection

Why Do Waterfalls Appear White?

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  We all know water is colorless, so what change occurs when the same water becomes white or milky in a waterfall? The color of water varies with the ambient conditions in which that water is present. While relatively small quantities of water appear to be colorless, pure water has a slight blue color that becomes deeper as the thickness of the observed sample increases. The hue of water is an intrinsic property. It is due to selective absorption and scattering of blue light. Dissolved elements or suspended impurities may give water a different color. Color of water The water kept in a small container appears colorless to the human eye. Water in an indoor swimming pool looks cyan from above due to weak absorption in the red part of the visible spectrum. [5] An indoor swimming pool appears cyan from above, as light reflecting from the bottom of the pool travels through enough water that its red component is absorbed. The same water in a smaller bucket looks only slightly cyan, [1]  and