Yellow paper primarily reflects yellow light. It also reflects varying amounts of red and green light, which, when combined, are perceived as yellow.
Here's a more detailed explanation:
When white light (which contains all colors of the visible spectrum) shines on yellow paper, the pigments in the paper absorb certain wavelengths of light and reflect others.
- Absorption: Yellow paper strongly absorbs blue and violet wavelengths.
- Reflection: It reflects yellow wavelengths strongly. Because color perception is complex, some red and green are also reflected. The brain interprets the combination of reflected red and green light as yellow.
In simpler terms, the paper acts like a filter, removing blue and violet light and bouncing back yellow light, allowing us to see the paper as yellow. This isn't a perfect filter; there will be some reflection of adjacent colors, but yellow will dominate.
