Which statement best describes selective absorption in visible light?

• A. Absorbing all wavelengths of light.
• B. Absorbing some components of visible light and transmitting others.
• C. Reflecting all wavelengths.
• D. Emitting light under UV light.

Answer: (B)

Selective absorption describes how a material interacts with visible light by taking in certain wavelengths while letting others pass through. This happens because the molecules or pigments have specific energy levels that match particular photon energies; photons that match these transitions are absorbed, while photons with other wavelengths are transmitted (in a transparent material) or reflected, which is why we see color. The color you perceive corresponds to the wavelengths that are not absorbed.

So, absorbing some components of visible light and transmitting others is precisely what happens with selective absorption. If a material absorbed all wavelengths, it would look dark or black; if it reflected all wavelengths, it would look white; emitting light under UV is a different process (fluorescence) and not about selective absorption in the visible.