Is Clear a Color?
We find so many clear objects in our day-to-day lives, but it rarely happens that we see them as colored items. Whether clear is a color or not, people will debate over the statement "is clear a color," with each presenting their point of view. With all the correct reasonings, there is only one possible answer that is clear is not a color, and we should not consider it as one. In this article, I have discussed why.
Clear is not a color at all. By definition, clear is the total absence of opacity. A clear material doesn't reflect any light back and simply let it pass through.
Is Clear Considered a Color?
No, clear is certainly not considered a color due to various reasons. First and foremost, we know that all the colors appear because of the amount of light reflected, emitted, or absorbed through an object, but with 'clear,' we notice that there is no reflection/absorption taking place. Instead, the entire light transmits through it.
Another reason is that every color can become clear once its opacity decreases to none, or we can say that. It becomes transparent. See, clear is also a short-term used for indicating the transparency of an object or how translucent it is. Clear is orthogonal to colors.
In addition, clear cannot be called color because an object becomes clear when all of the white light passes through it. It tells us that whenever we observe clear materials, we perceive no amount of wavelength in our minds.
Is Transparent a Color?
Similarly, we cannot consider transparency a color because we believe it to be completely colorless. Transparent objects reflect/absorb very little or no light, which makes them opposite to colorful things.
Materials that show the details of the other side and let light pass through directly are called transparent.
Is Clear the Absence of Color?
Yes, clear is, in fact, the absence of color and not the absence of light. The light passes by the objects without reflecting or absorbing through the surfaces.
Initially, we call the absence of color 'black' since we do not receive any specified wavelength of light within our eyes. Black is also known to absorb all light, but true black does not exist in nature which does not reflect any light. Black Holes are known to have a true black color as light can not escape from their gravitational pull.
What is Considered a Color?
The true meaning of color tells us that it is a specific wavelength of visible light, which explains that in reality, we are not actually looking at a color; it's just that some wavelength of visible light portrays in our minds. Let me give you an example; when you look at the color red, it is not the color but a wavelength of 700nm that your brain interprets.
We can also define a color by the amount of light the object can reflect or absorb. Thus, when the light comprises all wavelengths of the visible light, we manage to see it as white light, but when there is no visible light, we call it black.
What Color is Glass?
There are many colors of glass, among which green and amber are the most popular. Others include emerald green, deep yellow, blue-violet, and many more. There is also colorless glass, which we typically know as 'clear glass.'
What Items are Clear?
It's not hard to spot clear items since we have so many of them in our surroundings. You can literally point out one while reading this. Here are some of the examples that are known as clear items.
- Plastic bottles
- Glasses
- Ice
- Diamonds
- Cellophane
- Fish tanks
- windows
- Air
- Cling wrap
- Water
- Clear glass lightbulb
All these items, as mentioned above, contain the properties of 'clear.' This means you can quickly identify that anything transparent cannot be colorful.
Also, don't forget to check out our Bifold wallets, they come in different colors and designs.
Conclusion
Now that you know the facts, the next time someone tries to debate against you, it would be easier for you to get them into believing that clear is undoubtedly not a color; instead, it is just a property of a medium that lets the light pass.
