All Questions
170
questions
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26
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Solarization Spectrum
I'm looking to better understand the relation between the spectrum of the light which induces solarization in glass and the spectrum of the induced absorption.
More specifically, I'm interested in ...
- 1,538
3
votes
4
answers
328
views
A question about circularly polarized light
At work, a senior colleague thinks that circularly polarized light does not exist. My problem is that we both work on a project involving polarized light. In some occasions, I would like to point out ...
- 33
1
vote
0
answers
37
views
How to measure light intensity in a room?
Does anyone know how I would go about measuring the light intensity in a room? I'm not interested in knowing the lux reading, I would like to measure the $W/m^2$ due to thermal radiation in my ...
- 31
1
vote
1
answer
32
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Absorption and emission spectrum
I was wondering how do you see a spectrum when light is passed through a substance. Like most of the substances we use are opaque, so how does light pass through them without being reflected? Also ...
- 11
1
vote
1
answer
45
views
Why do we see objects with a given color?
I'm currently studying Electromagnetic Optics, and I don't quite understand the (classical) process through which we perceive an object with a given color. From my understanding, I'd make a ...
- 1,616
2
votes
1
answer
48
views
Physics behind Lambertian reflectors
Most ordinary surfaces are near Lambertian diffuse reflector, i.e. a small local radiates most strongly at norm then attenuates by cosine law when one gets to the tangentials. However this seems hard ...
1
vote
0
answers
22
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Understanding and researching with Spectroscopy
I am very new to physics so don't know a whole lot yet, so please correct any incorrect vocabulary you may find. Papers that are easy for beginners to understand are also very welcome!
Context:
I am ...
- 43
7
votes
6
answers
4k
views
Why does white light appear white?
When I think of white light, I'm imagining a combination of all 7 colors of light but I believe that since light has wave nature I can say that at some point that the probability density of red light ...
- 93
1
vote
1
answer
50
views
Huygens Light Theory using Spheres and Miller's recent discovery?
Huygens writes in "Treatise on Light" a theory that propagation of light through the aether can be explained using Spherical waves emanating from every point and they interfere. Miller ...
- 245
-2
votes
1
answer
37
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Struggling with interference [duplicate]
I was reading the book optics by zajac and hecht. It was a nice one until physics optics, i got that interference becomes when the light is coherent and monochromatic, and it is the superposition of ...
3
votes
1
answer
158
views
Infinite reflection inside a glass loop
If you had a loop made of completely transparent glass (or other material), in the shape of a donut; think atomic collider (but probably not needing to be so large :) ), and you introduced light from ...
0
votes
2
answers
63
views
Which factors determines whether a photon is absorbed? [duplicate]
After some research, I figured out that all EM waves/photons are absorbed by atoms by exciting an electron from an orbital to an other. However, atoms emit only certain EM waves with specific ...
- 167
1
vote
0
answers
51
views
What is the connection between Ray (Geometric) optics and Electromagnetic theory optics in fiber optics?
I am currently reading about fiber optics and wave propagation in fiber optics and encountered the following part of Gerd Keiser's Book :
according to the diagram shown, its a general case when the ...
1
vote
3
answers
72
views
Wavelengths of light outside our solar system
The question might have been asked before. Our Sun's rays decompose into 7 elementary colors by using a prism or spectrometry. Can the the colors (their number and wave length in the spectrum ) be ...
- 1,032
0
votes
0
answers
23
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Are Transmission values for absorptive light filters proportional to Intensity?
Mostly filter rates are given in percent, but if I imagine that for example 10 photons hit an absorption filter with 50%, molecules are excited there and in the end only 5 get through while the other ...
- 211