First, a simple but important fact: We don't see things, we see light. Objects have no appearance apart from light. They either absorb or reflect the light that falls upon them. White light is a combination of all the colors. When this light strikes a surface some of the colors are absorbed and some are reflected back to our eyes. If, for instance, violet, blue, and green are absorbed, and yellow and red are reflected, then we will perceive the surface as orange. Black objects absorb most of the light that strikes them, while white objects reflect it all.
Contrary to popular belief, black objects do not absorb all of the light that strikes them-this would make them invisible. They do, however, absorb all of the colors pretty evenly across the spectrum, consuming most of the light that falls upon them.
In the Reflection/Absorption section, click on any combination of the three colors to determine which colors the ball will absorb. By absorbing a color, you are in fact revealing its complement (see "Properties of Color" for details). Click the Refraction button to see how light waves are bent to create color.
