THE CHEMISTRY OF COLOUR

Colour is a fascinating part of everyday life that we all take for granted. Wherever we look we see colour - but how often do we stop to think about where that colour has come from?

Why are the leaves on trees green?

What makes the sky blue?

This website provides an insight into the world of colour. It looks at the various chemical explanations for colour in order to answer such questions as above.

We will look at the chemistry of colour in the following categories:

• The physical basis of colour
• Transition metal compounds
• Organic colour - Azo compounds
• Dyes and pigments

	Why are these paints different colours?