Did you ever wonder why wearing white in a hot summer day is more comfortable than wearing black? Or why some of the dark colors are viewed as hot colors and the light colors are cool? The answer lies in the adsorption of light of the materials depending on its color. A thermal energy source like the sun will converts its thermal energy into electromagnetic waves which will be transported to its receiver. These electromagnetic waves will be absorbed by the receiver and it will convert back into thermal energy or heat. The difference in the absorption properties of different colors and shades corresponds to their difference in heating (Boundless np). The objective of this essay is to argue that color affect the heat by the process of light absorption.
In actual science, color is a result of sophisticated continuous spectrum of visible light in which there are wavelengths that are more absorbed that the others (Eustice 7). For example, the red material or matter will reflect red color or wavelength while absorbing all the others. It will result with us observing that the color of the material is red. The absorbed color or wavelength in the visible light spectrum is called the subtractive color (Williams np). In the case of the black materials, it will absorb almost all the colors or wavelength in the visible light spectrum. On the other hand, the white materials reflect all the color or the wavelength in the visible light spectrum (The Physics Classroom np).
The color of the material has nothing to do with the heat absorption. Heat absorption is different from light absorption because it is the receiver that converts the electromagnetic waves into thermal energy (Boundless np). The amount of thermal energy that will be absorbed is not dependent on color since the electromagnetic waves are not only composed of the visible light spectrum. However, the radiation energy or the thermal energy coming from the sun that people could observed on earth is composed mainly of the visible light since it is filtered by the ozone layer and the magnetic field. The light that is absorbed by the material will be the converted into thermal energy or heat. That is the main reason why the dark colored materials emit more heat than the light colored materials. Dark colors absorbed more electromagnetic waves, or more specifically visible light which will be converted into heat (The Physics Classroom np).
The difference in absorption of light is the main reason why dark colored materials tends to be hotter when subjected into sunlight than light colored materials. Some of the people also took advantage of this difference in ability to absorbed light (Williams np). More people wear white clothes in summer or in places with temperate or tropical climates. On the other hand, people wear dark clothes in places with colder climates. It is also the reason for the color of storage tanks of different substances. The storage tanks of volatile substances are painted white to avoid escape excessive evaporation while denser materials such as oils are stored in storage tanks with dark colors to make it more viscous due to the heat (The Physics Classroom np).
The color of the object could affect the absorption of the light. Although color is not related to the absorption of heat, the absorbed light will be converted to heat and will be transferred to other receiver through convection and conduction. The difference in the ability to absorb light will result to the difference of temperature of the same material with different colors. Dark colors tend to be hotter than white colors since they absorbed more light energy which will be converted into thermal energy.
Works cited:
Boundless. Absorption of Light. Nd. Web. https://www.boundless.com/biology/textbooks/boundless-biology-textbook/photosynthesis-8/the-light-dependent-reactions-of-photosynthesis-81/absorption-of-light-375-11601/.
Eustice, Alfred. The effects of quality of surface and color upon absorption of light. 1997. Paul Galvin Library. Print.
The Physics Classroom. Color Subtraction. Nd. Web. http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/light/Lesson-2/Color-Subtraction.
The Physics Classroom. Light Absorption, Reflection and Transmission. Nd. Web. http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/light/Lesson-2/Light-Absorption,-Reflection,-and-Transmission.
Williams, Matt. Absorption of Light. Universe Today. 2011. Web. http://www.universetoday.com/87943/absorption-of-light/.
