I know it is because of turbulance, causing air to enter the water. But neither air nor water are White, why does the combination of the two make White.
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1$\begingroup$ Are you talking about foam? $\endgroup$– ACuriousMind ♦Commented May 29, 2016 at 17:47
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$\begingroup$ It's not just water and air but also surfactants. $\endgroup$– lemonCommented May 29, 2016 at 17:55
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1$\begingroup$ Related: physics.stackexchange.com/q/77516/2451 $\endgroup$– Qmechanic ♦Commented May 29, 2016 at 17:58
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1 Answer
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Sunlight, made up of a mixture of all colors, scatters when it passes between materials, each with a different refractive index, in this case water and air. The water in the river only meets the air at one surface, but the droplets in the air/water mixture contains millions of surfaces. This combination scatters the light more so it appears white overall, as do the tops of breaking waves at sea.