How we see color - The color effect- 

Daylight (white light) is made up of numerous waves or impulses each having different dimensions or wavelengths. When separated, any single wavelength will produce a specific color impression to the human eye. What we actually see as color is known as its color effect. When an object is hit (bombarded) with light rays, the object absorbs certain waves and reflects others, this determines the color effect.

For example, what we actually see when we observe a blue ball is that the ball appears blue because it reflects only blue light and absorbs all other light. 

The ball does not have color in itself. The light generates the color. What we see as color is the reflection of specific wavelength of light rays off an object.

The color white: If all light waves are reflected from a surface the surface will appear to be white. 

The color black: Similarly, when all light waves are absorbed by a surface the surface will appear to be black. 

The energy of light waves is converted into heat when absorbed. Wearing white or light colored clothing during hot summer days takes advantage of the quality.

The colored light in the visible spectrum ranges from red to violet. We can see this process by passing sunlight (white light) through a prism. Upon entering the prism, white light refracts (is bent, causing light waves of different lengths to be revealed, red having the longest wave length and violet having the shortest) into the visible spectrum.

Similarly, white light can be generated when all colored light in the spectrum is passed through a converging lens.