About this painting: 

Atoms themselves have no color. Color arises from the interaction of light with matter. Since atoms are tiny and do not reflect or absorb light in a way that produces visible color, they cannot be black or white.

However, materials made of many atoms can appear black or white. Black materials absorb most light, while white materials reflect it. For example, carbon in the form of graphite appears black, while salt or snow appears white due to light scattering.

So, while atoms are colorless, their arrangements in materials determine how light interacts with them, creating the colors we see.

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