The size of the nanoparticle significantly affects how it scatters light. When the particle size is comparable to the wavelength of light, scattering becomes more pronounced. For nanoparticles, Rayleigh scattering and Mie scattering are the two principal mechanisms. Rayleigh scattering occurs for particles much smaller than the wavelength of light and is characterized by its intensity being inversely proportional to the fourth power of the wavelength. Mie scattering, on the other hand, applies to particles of similar size to the wavelength and provides more complex patterns of scattering.
