Message 23590 of 39188 in General Discussion

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> Actually a green bottle would do the opposite. The reason our eyes 
> percieve the bottle as green is because all other spectrums of 
> visable light are absorbed by the surface where as the spectrums of 
> green light are reflected off of the surface hence our ability to see 
> them. When photons (light particles) hit an object one of two things 
> happen, they get absorbed or the get reflected. Our eyes work by 
> absorbing those photons which were reflected off of the various 
> objects we see. Hence why our  pupils are black, because black is 
> actually the absence of reflected light. 

Actually what you just described is an explanation for why green OPAQUE 
objects appear green.  There is a third option for photons besides absorbtion 
and reflection which is transmission.  Green paint on a house or car absorbs 
non-green wavelengths and reflects green photons which are what actually 
strike our eyes.  Photosynthetic plants use photons of two different 
wavelengths, one in the red, one in the blue, which is consistent with their 
leaves being green, reflected green light that isn't absorbed.  

Glass and other transparent objects act as filters that transmit light but 
they also reflect some of it.  Clear glass transmits all wavelengths of 
visible light but you can still sometimes see your reflection in a window or 
see light flashing off the surface of a window, right?  Some of the photons 
are getting reflected instead of transmitted.  The green glass of a Heineken 
bottle is going to transmit green photons and absorb the other wavelengths but 
some of the green photons will be reflected and hence we see a green bottle.