Polar bears'
fur consists of a dense, insulating underfur topped by guard
hairs of various lengths. It is not actually white — it just looks
like white. Each hair shaft is pigment-free, transparent with a hollow core that scatters and reflects visible light, much like
what happens with ice and snow. Polar bears
look whitest when they are clean and in high angle sunlight, especially just
after the they shed old hair or skin to make way for a
new growth, which usually begins in spring and is complete by late summer.
Before shedding their old hair or skin, accumulated oils in their fur from the
seals they eat can make them look yellow.
Showing posts with label yellow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label yellow. Show all posts
Sunday, June 12, 2016
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Why is the flame of the candle yellow ?
The yellow color is candle flame is due to microscopic
bits of carbon glowing with heat energy. The substance that burns in a candle
is vaporized wax, which is emitted by the hot wick and rises upward through the
flame because it is hotter than the surrounding air. Only some of this
hydrocarbon vapour is burned as it passes through the flame, the unburned
portion consists of tiny particles mainly of carbon.
These small solid carbon particles are heated by the flame to incandescence. They give off a yellow glow because their temperature is in the range that gives off yellow light. Cooler temperatures will produce orange or, even cooler, red light, and hotter temperatures produce white, or hotter still, blue-white light. Candle flames are just hot enough to produce yellow light.
After passing upward out of the flame, the particles cool off to room temperature and you see them as smoke or soot, which can deposit on surfaces held above the candle flame.
These small solid carbon particles are heated by the flame to incandescence. They give off a yellow glow because their temperature is in the range that gives off yellow light. Cooler temperatures will produce orange or, even cooler, red light, and hotter temperatures produce white, or hotter still, blue-white light. Candle flames are just hot enough to produce yellow light.
After passing upward out of the flame, the particles cool off to room temperature and you see them as smoke or soot, which can deposit on surfaces held above the candle flame.
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