The scales on the butterfly wings are actually made of a transparent material with index of refraction 1.56. Light reflects from the surface of the scales because

A. The scales' index of refraction is different from that of air.

B. The scales' index of refraction is similar to that of glass.

C. The scales' density is different from that of air.

D. Different colors of light have different wavelengths.

Question

Physics

Helena Morales

20 November, 00:14

The scales on the butterfly wings are actually made of a transparent material with index of refraction 1.56. Light reflects from the surface of the scales because

A. The scales' index of refraction is different from that of air.

B. The scales' index of refraction is similar to that of glass.

C. The scales' density is different from that of air.

D. Different colors of light have different wavelengths.

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Answers (1)

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Atticus Anthony · Answer 1

(D) different colors of light have different wavelengths.

Explanation:

Many types of butterflies use light-interacting structures on their wing scales to produce color. The scales of these butterflies' wings is composed of nano - and microscale, transparent, chitin-and-air layered structures.

These multi scale structures cause light that hits the surface of the wing to diffract and interfere.

The diffracted light waves then interfere with each other so that certain color wavelengths cancel out (destructive interference) while others are intensified and reflected.

Also, the refractive of this transparent materials in butterfly wing is higher than that of glass (1.5) and air (1.0003).

Thus, different colors of light have different wavelengths.