incolora

Incolora is the Spanish adjective meaning colorless, describing a substance that does not exhibit color in the visible spectrum. The term derives from the prefix in- (not) and color, and is used in science, industry, and everyday language to indicate the absence of visible pigmentation.

In scientific contexts, an incolora substance does not absorb light significantly in the visible range (roughly 380–750 nanometers) and therefore appears transparent. Many pure substances are colorless, such as water, most simple inorganic salts in solution (for example, NaCl or KNO3 in dilute solutions), sugars, and many gases. However, the appearance can change with concentration, impurities, or the medium, so a substance can be colorless in one form and colored in another.

Colorlessness is contrasted with coloration that arises from electronic transitions, particularly in transition-metal compounds where partially filled d-orbitals can produce vivid colors. Some substances that are colorless in isolation may form colored solutions or complexes under certain conditions, such as changes in oxidation state or ligand binding.

Incolora is widely used in contexts like chemistry, materials science, biology, and food labeling to denote the absence of colorant or pigmentation. It may describe liquids, crystals, solutions, or films that lack visible coloration. Etymology-wise, incolora is the feminine form; the masculine form is incoloro, and the plural forms depend on gender.

See also: color, transparency, achromatism, colorant.