Editing 2734: Electron Color

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==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
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In this comic [[Miss Lenhart]] is teaching a school physics class. One of her students asks what the color of electrons is.
 
  
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This is a relevant question for a kid to ask since on many scientific diagrams of atoms, the subatomic particles have been assigned colors to identify them for the reader. Neutrons are generally red, green, or gray; protons red or green and electrons might be blue or yellow. But there is no accepted rule for coloring such diagrams, so the kid may be confused. Additionally, some scientific diagrams use color coding rather than actually representative colors, and the kid may be wondering what color particles actually are.
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{{incomplete|Created by A SUPERINTELLIGENT SHADE OF THE COLOR BLUE - Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
  
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In completely off-character style, Miss Lenhart actually gives a correct fact ''...so "color" isn't even defined for them.'' and states that, unlike the diagrams, which are colored for convenience, the particles are not colored. She however gives a bogus, pseudoscientific explanation: ''They're too small to interact with visible light, ...'' In fact, every optical effect in our world is due to electrons interacting with light. That leads to color because the electrons are usually bound to various atomic nuclei in molecules etc., which leads to differences in how they take up and give out various energies of photon. But the electron itself does not have a particular hue that can be shone upon and absorbed/reflected, it merely governs the possible quanta of energy changes involved in generating the broad spectrum of light that the substance formed of the atom(s) may be seen by. Also protons are far "bigger" than electrons (and would interact strongly!), but their interaction with light (and generally electromagnetic radiation) is rarely observable, because they are shielded by the tiny electrons in ordinary matter. So, whether intended or not, Miss Lenhart is in her usual role of talking bullshit, also see for instance [[1519: Venus]].
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One common debate among schoolchildren is over the "color" of various subjects. Because of the brightly colored folders commonly used to separate subjects in the binder of a young student, the students tend to associate those colors with the subject. These associations can also correspond with common themes in the subject. Science could be seen as green as associated with the cartoon depiction of a flask containing bubbling green acid, or with leaves & plant life; history could be seen as red for association with the colors of the Roman Empire, or blood spilled during war. Many people will often end up heavily associating the subject with the color they assigned to it. Therefore, seeing somebody else color their subjects differently feels wrong.
  
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She then continues by saying that electrons are definitely yellow. The reason for this isn't clear.  She may be:
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This comic appears to "elevate" that discussion to the college level. Instead of arguing the colors of subjects, they're arguing the colors of parts of an atom. On many scientific diagrams, electrons are represented by yellow balls orbiting a gray and red center (as mentioned by the other students, some have associated the red with protons & gray with neutrons, while others have assumed the opposite).
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* meaning that they should be yellow on diagrams, because she feels this is the correct way to depict them in drawings of atoms,
 
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* referring to the Greek etymology of the word electron ({{w|elektron (resin)|elektron}} is an old name for amber, a yellow gem),
 
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* merely teasing her young pupils, or
 
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* stating how she feels they would be, if they could possess color.  
 
  
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But her off-panel pupils take her word for it. One of the kids says "I knew it", to the "fact" that electrons are yellow, and likewise the other pupils completely ignore what Miss Lenhart just told them. The debate then starts as one pupil claims ''and protons are red?'', and another chimes in, with a ''No, they're gray!'' This only makes sense in a debate of how to draw atoms, not regarding their actual color, as Miss Lenhart just explained.
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On many scientific diagrams of atoms, the subatomic particles have assigned colors. Neutrons are generally red, green, or gray; protons red or green; and electrons might be yellow, or whatever other color contrasts sufficiently against those already chosen. Miss Lenhart, in Panel 2, states that, unlike the diagrams, which are colored for convenience, the particles are not colored. However, in Panel 3, she jokingly (or genuinely, the people have no facial expressions) says that electrons definitely are yellow. Protons and neutrons are red or gray, so when, in Panel 3, Offpanel Voice 2 says that protons are red, O.V. 3 says they are gray, prompting an argument. There may be an element of {{w|Grapheme–color synesthesia|personal synesthesia}} to these opinions, or else merely having been initially exposed to differently envisaged 'standard' diagramatic conventions and now forevermore culturally predisposed to different 'correct' interpretations of which hues to use.  
  
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The opinions over the colors are probably based on what kind of diagrams people were initially exposed to, leading to a predisposition to think that those colors are 'correct'.
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Although individual electrons do not have a color, it's possible to produce a solution of [https://chemed.chem.purdue.edu/demos/main_pages/9.4.html 'solvated' electrons], which lend a blue tint to the solvent.
  
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Although individual electrons do not have a color, it's possible to produce a solution of {{w|Solvated_electron|so-called 'solvated' electrons}}. In ammonia and amines, in certain concentrations, the solution color is blue, and in higher concentrations metallic gold to bronze.
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The title text refers to the {{w|color charge}} property of quarks, a property which is part of {{w|quantum chromodynamics}}. As mentioned by Randall, these have nothing to do with color as we know it, but is just a way to represent interactions between quarks in a sufficiently analogous fashion that avoids inventing entirely new words to describe a particular threefold quality of the necessary {{w|color confinement|inter-quark groupings}}.
  
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The title text refers to the {{w|color charge}} property of quarks, a property which is part of {{w|quantum chromodynamics}}. In quantum chromodynamics, a quark's color can take one of three values or charges: red, green, and blue. An antiquark can take one of three anticolors: called antired, antigreen, and antiblue. As mentioned by [[Randall]], these have nothing to do with color as we know it, but is just a way to represent interactions between quarks in a sufficiently analogous fashion that avoids inventing entirely new words to describe a particular threefold quality of the necessary {{w|color confinement|inter-quark groupings}}. And he jokingly says that the 20th century physicists that came up with the three color system did this as as admission that numbers are boring. They could just have called the color charges "1", "2" and "3", though this may imply an unwarranted hierarchy, progression or other standard mathematical relationship that does not actually apply.
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==Transcript==
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{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
  
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==Transcript==
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:[Miss Lenhart teaching a class. Science Girl and Hairy sit at their desks, the latter has his hand raised.]
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:[Miss Lenhart is teaching a class. A boy with spiky hair sits at his desks with his hand raised asking a question. Jill sits in front of him looking back at him while leaning an arm on the back of her chair.]
 
 
:Miss Lenhart: You have a question?
 
:Miss Lenhart: You have a question?
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:Boy: Yeah-What color are electrons and protons? Are they yellow? Red? Blue?
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:Hairy: Yeah - what color are electrons and protons? Are they yellow? Red? Blue?
  
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:[Zoom in on Miss Lenhart's head.]
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:[Zoom in on Miss Lenhart.]
 
:Miss Lenhart: Subatomic particles don't have a color.
 
:Miss Lenhart: Subatomic particles don't have a color.
 
:Miss Lenhart: They're too small to interact with visible light, so "color" isn't even defined for them.
 
:Miss Lenhart: They're too small to interact with visible light, so "color" isn't even defined for them.
  
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:[Zoom back out but only showing Miss Lenhart. Three pupils reply from off-panel with speech lines coming from starburst at the right edge of the panel.]
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:[Panel of just Miss Lenhart.]
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:Miss Lenhart: That said, electrons are '''''definitely''''' yellow.
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:Miss Lenhart: That said, electrons are ''definitely'' yellow.
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:Off-panel voice 1: I knew it!
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:Offpanel voice 1: I knew it!
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:Off-panel voice 2: And protons are red, right?
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:Offpanel voice 2: And protons are red, right?
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:Off-panel voice 3: ''What?'' No! They're gray!
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:Offpanel voice 3: ''What?'' No! They're gray!
  
 
{{comic discussion}}
 
{{comic discussion}}
  
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Miss Lenhart]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Miss Lenhart]]
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[[Category:Comics featuring Jill]]
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[[Category:Comics featuring Science Girl]]
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[[Category:Kids]] <!-- The boy is a boy and thus not adult Hairy -->
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[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
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[[Category:Chemistry]]
 
[[Category:Physics]]
 
[[Category:Physics]]

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