Gregory's Server@mc - basically yes! But the aromatic groups appear to be optional. The reason tomatoes are red is 'lycopene':
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@mc - I got into this when I saw a bunch of autumn leaves again in Washington DC, and realized it's all due to quantum delocalization of electrons! I wrote about it here: (3/3) https://johncarlosbaez.wordpress.com/2021/11/28/anthocyanins/  @johncarlosbaez @mc anthocyanin. How is it that I had never heard this word before last week and now it’s everywhere? @johncarlosbaez @mc is it somehow possible to guess the color from the length of the chain of carbons? @b3nb3n @mc - yes if you're smart enough, but I'm not. The frequency of vibration will be lower for longer carbon chains, just like for a violin string, but I bet the side-groups attached to the chains also affect the frequency - like the oxygens in curcurmin. So you should get the cleanest patterns for very simple chains like C-C=C-C=C-C=C-C (with appropriate hydrogens attached).  @johncarlosbaez @b3nb3n @mc lycopene is red and is the longest chain you showed. Shouldn't it be the opposite? Longer = lower frequency? |
@mc - and the reason carrots are orange is beta-carotene.
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