What happens to light when it passes through a color filter?

When light passes through a color filter, it is transmitted with some wavelengths absorbed. This phenomenon occurs because color filters are designed to allow certain wavelengths of light to pass through while absorbing others. For example, if you have a red filter, it will transmit red wavelengths of light and absorb other colors, such as blue and green.

This selective absorption is what gives filters their color; they only allow specific wavelengths of light corresponding to their color to reach the observer or surface beyond them. Therefore, when light encounters a color filter, it is not completely blocked, and it does not reflect all of it. Instead, certain parts of the light spectrum are absorbed while the complementary color to those absorbed wavelengths is transmitted, which is why this option accurately describes the behavior of light when passing through a color filter.