Why is chlorophyll green? a. It absorbs all wavelengths in the visible spectrum. b. It absorbs wavelengths only in the red portions of the spectrum (680–700 nm). c. It absorbs wavelengths only in the blue part of the visible spectrum (450–480 nm). d. It absorbs wavelengths in only the blue and red parts of the visible spectrum.

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the question. The question is asking why chlorophyll, the pigment responsible for photosynthesis in plants, appears green.
2. Step 2: Recall that the color we see is the color that is reflected, not absorbed. So, if chlorophyll appears green, it means it is reflecting green light.
3. Step 3: Look at the answer choices. We can eliminate option a because if chlorophyll absorbed all wavelengths, it would appear black, not green.
4. Step 4: We can also eliminate options b and c because they suggest that chlorophyll only absorbs either red or blue light, which would mean it reflects the other colors, including green. But we know that chlorophyll appears green, so it must be reflecting green light, not absorbing it.
5. Step 5: The correct answer is option d. Chlorophyll absorbs wavelengths in the blue (450–480 nm) and red (680–700 nm) parts of the visible spectrum, and reflects the green part, which is why it appears green to us.