If the water is colourless, what makes the sea, lakes... turn blue?
by 
3dgarTheMaddog
ANSWERS: 21
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The reflection from the sky.
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hate to be redundant, but yea, I'm thinking sky reflection.
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is it?
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Because you touch yourself at night.
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i think its because of the reflextion of the sky, the sea is useally green after a storm though.
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the more deep you go, the more blue food coloring there is
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I'm sorry, the first answer that was given to this question is completely wrong! However, I congratulate the kid for trying. It's nothing to do with biology, it's all to do with chemistry and the composition of water, the main component of seas and oceans. The frequecy of light absorbed by the water molecules in the sea is lower than the frequecy of the energy from the sun that hits the molecules. Due to aborption of this energy and the emissions (i.e the light it absorbs and then reflects) give its the 'colour' that we see. In this case, large amounts of water molecules reflect back the same frequency of energy that corresponds to blue light, hence we see the seas and oceans as blue. The larger the amount of water molecules, the deeper the blue. That's why shallow waters look clear, and waters just off the coast look a paler blue than to out at sea. :) ========================================= EDIT: *Reading answers from below* It's not because of the reflection from the sky! I actually know what I'm talking about here! Made me laugh though :D
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It's polluted with fish poop.
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Unfortunately it isn't where we live... black brown, YUK!! :*J
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Would you swim in an orange sea?
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Two reasons: 1. The sea reflects the sky, the sea is not very blue when the sky is overcast 2. Rayleigh Scattering (this is a bit more difficult to explain so I have provided a link) Blue light is more easily bent, or refracted, than red light; thus, light refracted back from the surface of the sea appears blue. http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/Hbase/atmos/blusky.html
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The blue rods are more prevelent and are more easily seen and light can penetrte through them mofre easly. The same way with the sky. It is multi colored but because of the configuration of the bluwe rods they are the ones that are penetrating the upper atmosphere so it is seen as blue. mr Bill
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someone said chemistry, and then mentioned the skys reflection. reflections have nothing to do with chemistry. fail! also if it were reflection then how do you explain water that is clear under the same circumstances? its not sky reflection. the illusive first answer that fail kid alluded to would be correct. it is biology. the life in the water determines the color of the water.
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Reflection of the sky I would think
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It's not always blue, it's only when it reflects the sky!
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I heard it's because of the reflection from the sky. Or maybe it's the other way around?
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Yeah i've heard its beacause it reflects the sky too. in that case why is the sky blue? is it because of the atmosphere or something? or am i just talking out my ass lol?
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Firstly, the sea is not always blue. It also be shades of grey for instance. Yes it is reflecting the sky. Why is the sky blue? Something to do with how white light is scattered by the atmosphere. This question has apparently been asked many times on AB. Search for it.
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Blue light is more easily bent, or refracted, than red light; thus, light refracted back from the surface of the sea appears blue. Furthermore, when you are underwater the water around you appears blue because more blue light is scattered back to your eye than red light.
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the blue color is from the color of the sky that reflects on the sea
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The color is actully a reflection from the sky.
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