One of the most iconic images of 2002 Korea World Cup is that of the coach of the Spanish team, Jose Antonio Camacho, with striking fences on his shirt at the height of the armpits. The nervousness during the games played a trick on him that did not go unnoticed by the press. And although we all see it as very normal, if we think about it, it is quite curious. Why were dark circles visible if sweat is transparent? Or why is wet sand darker? Why do we have to wait for it to dry to know the exact color of a painting? Ultimately, why wet things are darker?
You may have never asked yourself that question, but possibly now the doubt has arisen. Although the truth is that it should rephrase the question, since it is not true that wet things are darker. They are exactly the same as dried, but we see them that way.
As always when we talk about color, we have to refer to how light is reflected and absorbed on a surface. This is the parameter that changes and makes wet things look darker. But let’s see what the reason is.
The Color ‘Trick’ That Makes Wet Things Appear Darker
When light strikes a surface, part of it is absorbed and part is reflected. The color we see is the result of wavelengths being reflected and therefore able to reach our eyes.
If everything or almost everything is absorbed we will see black and if the opposite happens the result will be the color white. At the intermediate point are all the colors. Therefore, if for example we are looking at a red shirt, it will be because the radiation in that wavelength is reflected.
The color also depends on the composition of those surfaces, since this will influence the behavior of the light. For this reason, to obtain new colors, one often plays with the introduction of new substances or with the size of their molecules. And, of course, a dry surface is not the same as a surface with water. If we go back to the red shirt from before, in case it gets wet or the person wearing it sweats on it, we will see it darker.
This is because water absorbs even more radiation than the dry shirt, so less light will be reflected back to us. So to speak, we are closer to black and that makes it look darker.
And this applies to all wet things. For example, as we said at the beginning, when we paint a wall and the paint is still wet, we have to wait for it to dry to know how it will look. This is because there is still a lot of water in it. Until it evaporates we won’t see how light will reflect on it from here on out.
But the wall is exactly the same. It is not the color that changes, but what our brain tells us based on what is sent to it our eyeyes Therefore, no, Camacho’s shirt was not darker. Simply, we saw her that way, although surely in his day that would not have served as a consolation.