• Question: why do black clothes absorb heat, what changes?

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      • Royal Society of Chemistry: Find out more on:
      Asked by jodlington to Kate, Kieren, Nicola, Rowena, Roy on 13 Mar 2014.
      • Photo: Kate Nicholson

        Kate Nicholson answered on 13 Mar 2014:

        They look black because they absorb all the colours of light that we can see so nothing is reflected back. Absorbing this light energy makes the clothing heat up. It can be even more complicated because some black pigments(dyes) also absorb infra-red which we sense as heat, and this adds to the heating effect.
        The change is from light energy into heat energy.

      • Photo: Nicola Rogers

        Nicola Rogers answered on 14 Mar 2014:

        Black clothes absorb light from the sun at all the visible wavelengths – hence nothing is reflected back and it looks black – some of the absorbed light will be converted into heat.

      • Photo: Rowena Fletcher-Wood

        Rowena Fletcher-Wood answered on 14 Mar 2014:

        You could see black clothes as like a greenhouse. They absorb all light and then trapbit, turning it into heat. Light surfaces keep cool by reflecting light but even better are shiny metallic reflective surfaces!

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