Final answer:
When light is absorbed, it turns into heat energy within the object, in accordance with the law of conservation of energy. Black objects absorb light more efficiently and thus can heat up more quickly compared to white ones.
Step-by-step explanation:
When light is absorbed by an object, it turns into heat energy. This process is part of why substances heat up when exposed to light. As light from various sources, such as bulbs or screens, hits surfaces, photon energy is generally absorbed by the material and converted into heat energy. This is a fundamental concept in thermodynamics, where heat is understood as energy transferred between systems that is not considered work.
In physics, the law of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed. Thus, when light is absorbed and does not reflect off an object, the energy from the light is stored in the system as internal energy. Materials with different colors react differently; for example, black objects absorb light more efficiently than white ones, and therefore, can absorb heat more quickly and reach higher temperatures if the absorbed light energy is converted into heat within them.