When light hits an object, it can do a number of things: it can transform into heat, be completely absorbed by the object, be reflected and bounce off the object, or be transmitted through the object.

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The electrons inside of atoms vibrate at different frequencies. When light at the same natural frequency as the electrons in the atom, the electrons absorb the light wave energy and turn it into vibrational motion, which gets transformed into thermal energy (and not reflected or transmitted).

If the frequency of the incoming light matches that of the electrons in the object that the light is striking, then the wavelengths are absorbed. If they don’t match, then reflection and transmission happen.

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