I heard that polar bears have black skin and clear hair. So, how is it that they appear to be "white"? Hmmmm

Question

I heard that polar bears have black skin and clear hair. So, how is it that they appear to be "white"? Hmmmm

Answer 1

it reflects of the snow and the sun making it look white and because as the snow falls it lands on them so it makes them look white!

Answer 2

The clear hairs trap air in between them and reflect light, scattering it. The net effect is that they look white, for the same reason snow looks white even though the water crystals in snow flakes are clear. :)

Answer 3

the hairs reflect the bears surroundings.

Answer 4

For the same reason the bristles on your toothbrush look white.

Answer 5

Salt crystals are clear.

Powdered salt looks white.

It's a refraction many small clear components

breaking up the light and returning it as white.

Answer 6

The hairs act like optical fibres, the light and other radiation from the sun bounce around them.  The skin is black to absorb as much infra red (heat) as the palar bear can from its surroundings.

See http://www.marinebio.net/marinescience/0...

There's a picture of the fur and skin.

Laa Laa

Answer 7

Their hair reflects the light making them appear white.  It also reflects off of the colors that are around them.  That is kinda why some bears that are on land or in zoos do not appear as white as others... because they are not surrounded by snow and ice.