how does light specifically interact with atoms and molecules?
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If you want to look at it on the atomic level,\nyou can think of light as a photon (a packet of energy).\nThe photons can be absorbed by the electrons around the atom which will excite them into a higher energy state.  When the electron falls back down to the ground state, it gives off a photon with a specific amount of energy.\n\nhttp://www.amazingrust.com/New/beta/Experiments/background_knowledge/Spectroscopy.html
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There are two types of substances\n1] Transparent.eg.Glass   2] Opaque.eg.iron                    Glass allows light to pass thru it as atoms in glass are in contact with each other.So when 1 atom receives energy,it vibrates with a greater amplitude[atoms are always in a state of vibration].It disturbs the neighbouring atom which accepts the energy liberated by the 1st atom.It transmits the energy to the next atom and so on....\n\nIn case of iron ,atoms areplaced even more closer which results in reflection of the entire light.In case of glass,there is partial reflection and partial refraction
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Light pushes electrons outs of the atoms in the cell making electricity
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Light travels through space as photons (tiny mass-less packets of energy).  Photons can interact only with the electrons surrounding an atom or molecule by kicking them to higher energy levels in higher orbits or shells.  If there is no matter with electrons (a perfect vacuum) the photons travel on unimpeded at the speed of light.  Space is almost a perfect vacuum and starlight (photons) can travel for thousands of light years without interacting with electrons to reach your eye.
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Adding to the previous answers: It's not so much that light IS a particle and a wave, it's that it behaves like a particle or a wave depending on the situation. And 'particle' isn't a very good term since it implies mass when it, in fact, doesn't have mass (it does have momentum however).\n\nParticle examples (called 'photons'):\n- Light is absorbed by atoms and molecules in little bundles/packets. Only bundles of an exact amount of energy can be absorbed and/or released.\n- The photo electric effect: When light strikes the surface of metal it can knock electrons off (due to it's momentum).\n\nWave examples:\n- Light interferes with other light in much the same way water waves do (constructive and destructive interference).
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Its resolving power is around 2 nanometers (two millionths of a millimeter).\nIt can detect proteins and other small molecules. \nBut atoms are much smaller than that, and can only be visualized by atomic force and tunnel effect microscopes, which use a very fine tip to probe surfaces, and react electrically to the atoms they encounter. But they don´t actually render real images, but instead an artificial computer-based reconstitution.
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Atoms have what are called "orbitals" which are sorts of energy states that electrons can acheive.  A certain set of orbitals are considered the ground state, which is to say that a neutral atom (meaning the atom has as many electrons as protons) will be at its lowest energy state when all electrons occupy the ground state orbitals.  However, an electron can acquire extra energy which will raise the electron to a higher orbital.  This can be done by heat or light.  When an electron is elevated to a higher orbital, it is unstable, and it will eventually drop.  When it drops back down to groundd state, it will release a photon which has a specific amount of energy--the difference in enrgy between the higher and lower orital.\n\nEnergy in a photon relates to its wavelength, and wavelength relates to color.  Hence, for a given type of atom, the transition between two orbitals (which is set by the nucleus involving physical chemistry matters that are way too complex to speel out here) will always require a certain amount of energy, and the relaxation of an electron between those states will always release a photon of a specific color.
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Atoms are small, of the order of 10^-10 meter. Atom nuclei are even smaller, 10^-15 meter. Impossible to see even with the best microscopes.\n\nIn a microscope we see objects because light scatters off these objects into your eye, forming an image.\n\nWe can try to do these same by scattering subatomic particles off the atoms we want to study and look at these, not with the eye but with specialized detectors. These are indirect methods. The idea is that if you scatter particles off something soft, like a pudding, something different will happen than in the case of scattering on hard objects.\n\nRutherford was the first to try this.He scattered alpha particles off atoms. From the results he deduced that an atom is made up of a nucleus surrounded by a cloud of orbiting electrons.\n\nNot quite correct but close!
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Two or more atoms make a molecule\nMillions and millions of molecules make up a cell.
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CHEMISTRY I: ATOMS AND MOLECULES\nTable of Contents\nAtoms | Electrons and energy | Chemical Bonding | Chemical reactions and molecules\n\nLearning Objectives | Terms | Review Questions | Links\nAtoms | Back to Top\n\nMost of the Universe consists of matter and energy. Energy is the capacity to do work. Matter has mass and occupies space. All matter is composed of basic elements that cannot be broken down to substances with different chemical or physical properties. Elements are substances consisting of one type of atom, for example Carbon atoms make up diamond, and also graphite. Pure (24K) gold is composed of only one type of atom, gold atoms. Atoms are the smallest particle into which an element can be divided. The ancient Greek philosophers developed the concept of the atom, although they considered it the fundamental particle that could not be broken down. Since the work of Enrico Fermi and his colleagues, we now know that the atom is divisible, often releasing tremendous energies as in nuclear explosions or (in a controlled fashion in) thermonuclear power plants.\n\nSubatomic particles were discovered during the 1800s. For our purposes we will concentrate only on three of them. The proton is located in the center (or nucleus) of an atom, each atom has at least one proton. Protons have a charge of +1, and a mass of approximately 1 atomic mass unit (amu). Elements differ from each other in the number of protons they have, e.g. Hydrogen has 1 proton; Helium has 2.\n\nThe neutron also is located in the atomic nucleus (except in Hydrogen). The neutron has no charge, and a mass of slightly over 1 amu. Some scientists propose the neutron is made up of a proton and electron-like particle.\n\nThe electron is a very small particle located outside the nucleus. Because they move at speeds near the speed of light the precise location of electrons is hard to pin down. Electrons occupy orbitals, or areas where they have a high statistical probability of occurring. The charge on an electron is -1. Its mass is negligible (approximately 1800 electrons are needed to equal the mass of one proton).\n\nThe atomic number is the number of protons an atom has. It is characteristic and unique for each element. The atomic mass (also referred to as the atomic weight) is the number of protons and neutrons in an atom. Atoms of an element that have differing numbers of neutrons (but a constant atomic number) are termed isotopes. Isotopes can be used to determine the diet of ancient peoples by determining proportions of isotopes in mummified or fossilized human tissues. Biochemical pathways can be deciphered by using isotopic tracers. The age of fossils and artifacts can be determined by using radioactive isotopes, either directly on the fossil (if it is young enough) or on the rocks that surround the fossil 9for older fossils like dinosaurs). Isotopes are also the source of radiation used in medical diagnostic and treatment procedures.\n\nNote that each of these isotopes of hydrogen has only one proton. Isotopes differ from each other in the number of neutrons, not in the number of protons. Image from Purves et al., Life: The Science of Biology, 4th Edition, by Sinauer Associates (www.sinauer.com) and WH Freeman (www.whfreeman.com), used with permission.\n\nSome isotopes are radioisotopes, which spontaneously decay, releasing radioactivity. Other isotopes are stable. Examples of radioisotopes are Carbon-14 (symbol 14C), and deuterium (also known as Hydrogen-2; 2H). Stable isotopes are 12C and 1H.\n\nCarbon has three isotopes, of which carbon-12 and carbon-14 are the most well known. Image from Purves et al., Life: The Science of Biology, 4th Edition, by Sinauer Associates (www.sinauer.com) and WH Freeman (www.whfreeman.com), used with permission.\n\nThe Periodic Table of the Elements provides a great deal of information about various elements. An on-line Periodic Table is available by clicking here, or if that is busy try a mirror site.\n\nThe Periodi
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it says that shooting a certain amount of light on metals will cause it to release electrons.Because that means that light actually can do something, it must be a particle, otherwise it would be something that can't really touch other objects and cause something to happen
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Ask a scientist and they will say it effects every aspect of your daily activities. You and your surroundings are made of atoms that are mostly empty space. It is swarms of electrons with super tiny yet massive nuclei interspersed. All these forces acting on mass. Strong nuclear force holding the nucleus of an atom together. Electromagnetic forces holding the atoms together, and making molecules. Gravity attracting all massive objects to one another. Nature uses these forces to build planets, stars, even life itself. Engineers use these forces to manipulate matter in ever more amazing ways. Everything you see, hear, smell, or feel is physics in action.
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Light is a form of atomic radiation.  When an electron drops to a lower shell it releases a photon.  \n\nOther radiation can stimuate the energy in atoms and cause electrons to bounce up and down levels creating photons as well.
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what is the atom made of and explain how they work?
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Scattering of Light \nby small particles and molecules in the atmosphere Different from reflection, where radiation is deflected in one direction, some particles and molecules found in the atmosphere have the ability to scatter solar radiation in all directions. The particles/molecules which scatter light are called scatterers and can also include particulates made by human industry. \n\nSelective scattering (or Rayleigh scattering) occurs when certain particles are more effective at scattering a particular wavelength of light. Air molecules, like oxygen and nitrogen for example, are small in size and thus more effective at scattering shorter wavelengths of light (blue and violet). The selective scattering by air molecules is responsible for producing our blue skies on a clear sunny day.
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Actually it's the other way around, the red is what is reflected and most of the rest is absorbed.  It has to do with the different wavelenths being absorbed by different atoms on the surface.  Some atoms or atomic bonds will reflect certain energies and absorb others.\n\nOr they can absorb energy and re-emit it as a lower energy photon which can also happen.
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The color of a substance is based on the light that it emits, typically after absorbing photons from an external source.  The movement of electrons from one energy level to another is what is typically responsible for the light we see.  If you ionize a substance, you affect the energy levels that are available to an electron to be excited to, or relax down to, and hence you affect its color.