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You don't need to understand every chemical reaction at the quantum level to get the basic idea. The previous explanations already give you the right picture: new molecule = new way of absorbing light = new color. That's solid reasoning.
But there's a detail I'd add: sometimes it's not even a new molecule that forms. Sometimes you're just changing the chemical environment around the molecule that already exists. Like when you mix an acid with a base, the pH changes, and that can modify how electrons in atoms behave, so the color changes even though technically you haven't created a completely different molecule. That's the case with some color indicators we use pretty much everywhere.
The other thing people often forget: concentration matters a lot. Two substances mixed together dilute everything, and the color also depends on the density of the colored molecules. So you've got multiple factors at play: the chemistry itself, the structure of the resulting molecules, and tons of physical variables around it.
It's not really a matter of "certain substances" - actually, most chemical reactions change colors, because you're breaking apart molecules and creating new ones with different structures. These new molecules absorb light in a different way than the original ones, so you see a different color. It's like when you mix two paint shades and end up with something completely new.
Color depends directly on the chemical structure of molecules, like how they absorb light 🎨 When you mix two things together, you're actually creating new molecules with a different structure, and boom - they don't reflect the same wavelengths anymore. I noticed this when testing something basic: red cabbage juice (which contains anthocyanin) changes color completely depending on whether you add vinegar or baking soda - the pH modifies the molecular structure and you go from pink-violet to blue-green. It's fascinating because it's the same chemical substance, just arranged differently! 💜
I noticed that the other day when I mixed white vinegar with baking soda to clean my kitchen - the stuff turns pale yellow even though it was colorless before 😅 Like the guys said, it's really about how the molecular structure changes, so the way the material absorbs and reflects light changes too. Anyway, you're literally creating new molecules with different optical properties, which is where the new color comes from!
When you mix methylene blue with bleach, the stuff becomes colorless in seconds - it's one of the most spectacular reactions. What happens is that the dye molecules literally get destroyed by the oxidizing agent, so they don't exist anymore to absorb light the way they did before. It's not just a matter of new molecules that have different optical properties; sometimes you're straight-up destroying the molecule responsible for the color.
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