Light-V- Dark Clothing

[BigV]

Originally Posted by Shawnee123

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I've always heard dark colors absorb heat, light colors reflect. All the science, I don't understand.

Seeing something is when your eye receives the light reflected (or emitted) by an object. Imagine two shirts, one white, one black, lying in the sun. The same amount of light is shining on each one, but the white one appears brighter to your eyes. It appears brighter because it is reflecting more light. The black one appears darker because it is reflecting less light. But since they both receive the same amount of light and reflect different amounts of light, how can you account for the difference?

The answer is the black one *absorbs* more light. Some of that light absorbed can be felt as warmth. You've certainly experienced this yourself.

So, depending on what you're trying to accomplish, one shirt color over the other can make a difference.