Question

What color(s) of light does a transparent red object transmit? What color(s) does it absorb? What color(s) does it reflect?

Answer 1

In order to answer this question, first we need to understand why we see different colours through our eyes. Then we will understand the tree terms, which are, Reflection, absorption and transmission of light and then we will arrive at the final answer.

Complete step by step solution:
Reflection: Reflection is the basic process in which the light rays get reflected from the surface.
Absorption: Absorption takes place when the light ray gets converted to another form of energy to another form of energy. This can only occur when light rays disappear as it passes through another medium.
Transmission: Transmission of light means that the light ray may pass through another medium or it may also get refracted.
To determine whether an object appears transparent or not, any of the colour that we are able to see, is the result of the corresponding wavelength which enters our eyes.
White light is the result of all the available visible light wavelengths of eyes reaching our eyes at the same time. The process of filtering involves putting the materials which easily absorb a wavelength, removing it from the ones that enter into our eyes.
Thus, we can say that a red object is absorbing all the wavelengths which are possible, and reflecting only the red wavelength of light. It is also important to remember that whether it reflects or absorbs, it is dependent on the perspective of the viewer – whether the light source is coming from the front of it, or from behind it.

Note:
It is important to note that since, there is an infinite number of colours present in the universe and we have only three cones which are used to detect the light; so our mind gets tricked when seeing any colour by carefully adding the different colours to get the perfect combination of three colours i.e., red, green, and blue.