Water is one of the most important resourcesis essential for our survival and offers us high levels of quality of life. The phrases of the water They emphasize that it is part, then, of our day to day, of the daily life of each one of the individuals. For this reason, many questions and concerns arise around her. One of the most common is what color is the water? Although many of us believe we have the answer, it is never superfluous to understand the reasons why it acquires tonality. In this Supercurious article, we’ll tell you why water is blue (or we think it is). Do you want to know everything? So, keep reading!
Water in its natural state: theories and variations
Asking ourselves about what color water is implies taking into account several theories. Faced with that question, many paths lead to trying to understand why water has no color or why it is considered colorless. Generally, the starting point is to understand that water, when it is in its natural state, that is, it has not been modified with any type of additive.is, in essence, crystalline and transparent.
However, despite any explanation or scientific theory, it is difficult to understand how what is said to be colorless can acquire, before our eyes, all kinds of shades and colors. In order to have a reasonable answer to all these questions, it is important to consider various aspects like the ones we’ll talk about next.
What color is the water? watch her carefully
One of the elements that best responds to the color of the water is the light effect caused by the sun.. The light that comes from the star is made up of electromagnetic waves that, thanks to the fact that they belong to the frequency of the visible spectrum, contain the colors of the rainbow.
Now, when this light falls on an object, it absorbs the set of colors and those that it does not absorb reflect. Against this, it is understood, then, that water selectively absorbs light, focusing on the absorption of the lowest frequencies (red and orange). This causes other colors, such as blue and green, to come through completely. This is the reason why when we ask what color is the water? the most common answer is that it is blue.
Hand in hand with this theoryit is also believed that the water acquires its color from the reflection produced by the sky. However, although a small part of this statement is true, it is not the most powerful reason. Although the surface of the water can reflect some of the light from the sky, this does not determine its color, since it depends on various factors such as cloudiness, the angle of observation or movements on the surface.
Given the above, it is worth emphasizing that if you are still wondering what color water is, you should know that it is colorless. The tonalities that we observe in the seas, rivers, lagoons or any body of water it is due to laws of physics like the one mentioned above. In addition, it must be taken into account that the human eye is capable of perceiving electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths that can range from 380 to 700 nanometers, so we can distinguish different shades more easily.
Other factors that determine what color the water is: It all plays a role!
We already presented one of the perspectives that determine what color water is. However, it is worth keeping in mind that the water does not always look blue. This is because there are other factors that influence the perception of its color.
1. The color of river water
If we ask you about the color of river water, would you answer that it is blue? When we think of the color of river water, a cloudier color generally comes to mind, in which brown tones predominate. This is because these bodies of water move large amounts of sediment. In the event that the river has strong blue or greenish tones, this may be due to the great concentration of minerals in its waters.
2. What about the color of the sea?
On the other hand, in the case of asking ourselves what color is the sea and other large bodies of water, the tonality may be due to the presence of different microorganisms, like algae and bacteria. Although they are not perceptible to the naked eye, these microorganisms reach high concentrations, which makes them they dye the waters of white, green or red tones.
3. The color of frozen water
But that is not all. At some other times, such as when frozen, the water may appear white (this is the case with snow). This is because it is made up of flakes or crystals of water. As these flakes aggregate, air becomes trapped. Such air scatters light scatters light in all directions creating the visible light wave which will be seen as white.
4. What color is drinking water?
now facing What color is drinking water? The exact same thing happens. In principle it is colorless, however, its color will depend on the levels of contamination to which it is exposed and the chemicals with which it is treated, that is, It will depend on the quality levels of the water you consume.
We hope that this information was very valuable for you and it will not leave you any more doubts about what color the water is, you will no longer think that the answer is always blue. Before you go we would like to know your opinions about it. We will be looking forward to reading you!