Identify the colors of a compound that absorbs green light, yellow-green light and blue light.

• A. green, yellow-green, blue
• B. violet-red, violet-red, blue-violet
• C. red, violet-red, orange
• D. red, violet, orange-yellow
• E. red, violet-red, orange, yellow

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that the color a compound appears is the complementary color of the light it absorbs. This is based on the color wheel, where complementary colors are opposite each other.
2. Identify the complementary color for green light. On the color wheel, green is opposite to red, so a compound that absorbs green light will appear red.
3. Identify the complementary color for yellow-green light. On the color wheel, yellow-green is opposite to violet-red, so a compound that absorbs yellow-green light will appear violet-red.
4. Identify the complementary color for blue light. On the color wheel, blue is opposite to orange, so a compound that absorbs blue light will appear orange.
5. Combine the identified colors: red, violet-red, and orange. These are the colors the compound will appear when it absorbs green, yellow-green, and blue light, respectively.