Bueller, Ferris Bueller?
Hi everyone!!! It's been a while since I updated but I had this peculiar question...
So I was in my chem conference and am like one of the only upperclassmen in this freshman class. Me and Erin are probably the only junior physics majors, too. Anyhow, we are studying light and how the color of something is an indication of different things about it (temperature, etc).
I was leaving last week and the instructor guy (Arthur) was like, "I have a question for you Junior-Physics-Major" (immediately my 'oh shit I probably wont know the answer' light came on in my head). "Why is it that even though the sun is green it appears orange to us?"
So, I ask you, fellow lj buddies, why is the sun orange to us (here on earth) rather than the green that it should be?
Your natural reaction may be to say 'because the sky is blue, the green travels through the blue sky and it reaches us orange' or something like that. My first reaction was just the diffraction of the light rays hitting the molecules of air - just happens to be the pattern of diffraction. But then, I got home and was thinking about it. Is the sky *really* blue? You might say 'well it's blue because of the color of the ocean reflecting off of it' or 'it's made up of water vapors (clouds, etc)'. But wait, why is the water blue then? Where is the color of the water coming from? In fact, WHERE IS THE COLOR OF ANYTHING COMING FROM? Why am I even delving into this question? Does it even have an answer? Gah. And then, another thing - why isn't everything 'orange' (or whatever color the sun appears to you)? Why is everything white? I mean, at sunset we see an orange glow, but during the day sunlight is, effectively, white. How does that happen? Even if we ignore the blueness of the water causing the color transformation of the sun into this big fiery orange ball, how does it turn white? What the heck is going on here?
Anyhow, I hope everyone is doing well! My classes are magnificent and I can't say I've ever been happier with school. I'm glad I chose physics as a major and I'm really pleased with my schedule. I hope you are all having as good of a week as I am! Those of you still on summer break, have some fun for me! :)
So I was in my chem conference and am like one of the only upperclassmen in this freshman class. Me and Erin are probably the only junior physics majors, too. Anyhow, we are studying light and how the color of something is an indication of different things about it (temperature, etc).
I was leaving last week and the instructor guy (Arthur) was like, "I have a question for you Junior-Physics-Major" (immediately my 'oh shit I probably wont know the answer' light came on in my head). "Why is it that even though the sun is green it appears orange to us?"
So, I ask you, fellow lj buddies, why is the sun orange to us (here on earth) rather than the green that it should be?
Your natural reaction may be to say 'because the sky is blue, the green travels through the blue sky and it reaches us orange' or something like that. My first reaction was just the diffraction of the light rays hitting the molecules of air - just happens to be the pattern of diffraction. But then, I got home and was thinking about it. Is the sky *really* blue? You might say 'well it's blue because of the color of the ocean reflecting off of it' or 'it's made up of water vapors (clouds, etc)'. But wait, why is the water blue then? Where is the color of the water coming from? In fact, WHERE IS THE COLOR OF ANYTHING COMING FROM? Why am I even delving into this question? Does it even have an answer? Gah. And then, another thing - why isn't everything 'orange' (or whatever color the sun appears to you)? Why is everything white? I mean, at sunset we see an orange glow, but during the day sunlight is, effectively, white. How does that happen? Even if we ignore the blueness of the water causing the color transformation of the sun into this big fiery orange ball, how does it turn white? What the heck is going on here?
Anyhow, I hope everyone is doing well! My classes are magnificent and I can't say I've ever been happier with school. I'm glad I chose physics as a major and I'm really pleased with my schedule. I hope you are all having as good of a week as I am! Those of you still on summer break, have some fun for me! :)