On Day 20, we covered two different topics.
We first discussed how reflection and refraction affect the saturation of pigments.
Reflection and Refraction in pigments from Seeing the Light: Optics in Nature, Photography, Color, Vision, and Holography by David R. Falk, Dieter R. Brill , David G. Stork. Wiley, 1986.
We then moved on to some basic quantum mechanics in order to explain why various pigments absorb and reflect different wavelengths. We used a simple model of atom energy levels of sodium. New concepts introduced included
- Photons and their energy E=hc/λ
- Quantized atomic energy levels
- Energy levels of sodium
- Emission and absorption spectra of gases
Sources: Nassau, Kurt “The Causes of Color,” Scientific American, October 1980, pages 124-154.