Sunlight contains all the colours of the rainbow mixed together as different wavelengths of light . This mixture of wavelengths is known as white light .
White light is visible light , and so contains all the colours of the rainbow , from red to violet . Colour vision is the ability to distinguish among the various wavelengths of visible light waves and to perceive the differences as differences in hue . An object appears coloured because of the way it interacts with light . Colour can therefore only arise in the presence of light .
When white light hits an object , it absorbs some of the light while reflecting the rest . The portion of light that is reflected determines the colour that our eyes see . If all the visible light rays are absorbed by an object , we see black . Conversely , when all the light rays are reflected , we see white .
Why does an object absorb certain light waves while reflecting the rest ? Which wavelengths are reflected or absorbed depends on the properties of the object . The surface of any object contains atoms capable of selectively absorbing one or more wavelengths of the visible light that shines upon it .