when the color purple is reflected off a hat, what can we say is happening to the light waves?

Purple light waves are being reflected from the hat

Explanation:

The visible spectrum is made of seven colors Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yello, Orange and Red.

All objects are made of atoms, their electrons absorb wavelengths from the visible spectrum based on which wavelength they absorb the color of the object is determined.

If the object absorbs all wavelength it will appear black.

If the object do not abosrb any waavelength ( i.e., reflect all wavelength) then it will appear in white color

If the object aobsrbs all wavelength except Red the object will appear red

If the absorbs all wavelenth except Blue and Green then it will appear Cyan the combination of both Blue and green)

When the visible light falls on the the hat, it absorbs all colors of the visible spectrum ( VIBGYOR) and reflects only violet color( also called purple) the hat will appear purple