The Science Behind Why Things Turn White

🔵When light hits a substance, it absorbs certain colors and reflects others. In the case of soap or shower gel, it absorbs red and green light, reflecting blue light back to your eyes.

🌫️When light passes through foam, it bounces around off the multiple surfaces, causing scattering, which results in all the colors of light being reflected and the foam appearing white.

✨The coating on a Buddha board is rough, scattering light and making it white. When wet, the scattering is reduced, revealing the dark layer underneath.

🎨White paint contains titanium dioxide, which scatters light due to its roughness, appearing white.

🌈Scattering of light is the main reason why many things appear white, although the specifics can vary depending on the substances involved.

Why does shower gel turn white when it foams up?

—The foam in shower gel is made up of numerous bubbles, each with multiple surfaces. When light hits these surfaces, it scatters in all directions, resulting in all colors being reflected and the foam appearing white.

Why does the coating on a Buddha board turn white when wet?

—The coating on a Buddha board is rough, scattering light and making it white. However, when the coating is wet, the scattering is reduced, allowing the dark layer underneath to become visible.

Is all white paint made from titanium dioxide?

—The vast majority of white paint contains titanium dioxide, which is a crystal that appears white when crushed into a fine powder. The scattering of light by the tiny crystals gives the paint its white appearance.

Do all substances turn white when they change state or composition?

—Not all substances turn white when they change state or composition. The whiteness of a substance depends on various factors, including the scattering of light and the properties of the materials involved.

Why is it important to understand how things turn white?

—Understanding the science behind why things turn white allows us to appreciate the role of light and materials in our everyday lives. It also helps explain various phenomena and allows for the development of new applications and technologies.

00:00The video explores why various substances turn white, such as shower gel, foam, and Buddha boards.

03:11The whiteness of foam is due to the scattering of light as it bounces around off multiple surfaces, reflecting all colors back to the viewer.

08:22Buddha boards have a rough coating that scatters light, making it appear white. When wet, the scattering is reduced, revealing the dark layer underneath.

09:40White paint often contains titanium dioxide, which scatters light when crushed into a fine powder, giving it a white appearance.

10:00The scattering of light is the main reason why many substances appear white, although the specifics can vary depending on the materials involved.