Why Does Milk Look White When Water Is Clear?

What Crafty Clover says in this video

Intro

Hi there, curious minds! I'm Crafty Clover! Let's discover something amazing. Why does milk look white when water is clear?

The Big Idea

Milk is mostly water with tiny droplets of fat and bits of protein floating in it. These specks bounce every color of light in every direction. Mixed colors reach your eyes together, so you see white.

Clear Water

Step one: clear water. Pure water has nothing floating in it to bounce light. So the light passes straight through, and the water looks clear.

Tiny Specks

Step two: tiny specks. Milk has droplets of fat and bits of protein mixed in. They are too small to see one by one, but they are big enough to bounce light.

All Colors Bounce

Step three: all colors bounce. The specks scatter every color of light in every direction. When all the colors reach your eyes together, you see white.

A Closer Look

Let's take a closer look! Start with a glass of clear water, and look through it. Add one drop of milk. Shine a flashlight through from the side. Add more drops, and the water turns whiter.

Quick Facts

Quick facts! Skim milk looks a bit bluer-gray than cream because it has fewer fat droplets. Cream looks whiter and thicker than skim milk, because it has many more fat droplets. Clouds are white for a similar reason. Use only a few drops of milk.

Think Like a Scientist

Now, think like a scientist! Add one drop of milk to a glass of water. Shine a flashlight through it from the side. Add a few more drops and notice how white it becomes. Never shine the light into anyone's eyes.

Outro

Tiny specks in milk scatter all colors, so it looks white. Science is amazing! Crafty Clover can be found on Amazon Books, Google Bookstore, and Apple Books. Available for purchase or download! Bye for now!