A substance that transmits some colors and blocks others is called?

A substance that transmits some colors and blocks others is called?

• A. Opaque
• B. Visible spectrum
• C. Filter
• D. Prism

Answer: (C)

Selective transmission of light is what this question is about. A filter is a material that passes only certain wavelengths of light and blocks others. Because light is made up of different colors (wavelengths), a filter that transmits just some of them makes the transmitted light appear colored by those wavelengths. For example, a filter that passes red light and blocks other colors will make white light look red as it passes through. Opaque means no light passes at all, so it doesn’t transmit colors. The visible spectrum is the range of colors humans can see, not a material. A prism separates light into a spectrum by bending different wavelengths differently, rather than filtering light.

Selective transmission of light is what this question is about. A filter is a material that passes only certain wavelengths of light and blocks others. Because light is made up of different colors (wavelengths), a filter that transmits just some of them makes the transmitted light appear colored by those wavelengths. For example, a filter that passes red light and blocks other colors will make white light look red as it passes through. Opaque means no light passes at all, so it doesn’t transmit colors. The visible spectrum is the range of colors humans can see, not a material. A prism separates light into a spectrum by bending different wavelengths differently, rather than filtering light.