All Questions
Tagged with refraction everyday-life
32
questions
10
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1
answer
2k
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How does a Magic Mirror work?
I recently found out about the Magic Mirror. Both sides of the mirror look the same, and it appears to be dark, if looked at closely, like sunglasses (but lighter in colour) but looks like a normal ...
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8
votes
1
answer
504
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Skylight reflection shows birefringence patterns
I noticed that the skylight where I work looked white to me, but its reflection from the tiles below showed a colorful pattern. See the images below, and also a video that shows this effect from ...
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0
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0
answers
50
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How might one produce a glory -- a circular rainbow -- in crystal?
A glory is the technical name for a full circle rainbow, such as is sometimes (but rarely) seen from below above a waterfall, or below from above a cloud. I am asking this question here. because it ...
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0
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0
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55
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Why does a shadow of a fork 'dissappear' once submerged? [duplicate]
NO SHADOW of the fork!
A distinct black shadow can be observed at the bottom of a glass before and after the fork enters the water, but the shadow disappears at the instant of entry, is this a ...
- 1
4
votes
2
answers
213
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Unexpected rainbow in window
Lately, I observed a rainbow-like ring forming in my window during nighttime when the light enters from a street lamp. Interestingly, the sequence of colors in the rainbow seems to be reversed from ...
- 181
7
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4
answers
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What's at the end of a rainbow?
I recently saw a video where someone saw the end of a rainbow as it went into a lake. How is this even possible considering the fact that rainbows have no ends and are circular in nature?
Edit: I ...
0
votes
0
answers
51
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Does the speed of an object underwater change when viewed above?
Let's say a submarine is coming to surface with a velocity $v$ normal to the surface of water and let's say you are the admiral of the navy viewing the submarine from the top. The submarine is exactly ...
- 753
10
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3
answers
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Where does the "water" come from in a mirage?
First, I would like to clarify that I know why a mirage is formed, what I want to know is why is it that when a mirage is formed it appears that a pool of water is present.
Like for a palm tree in a ...
- 113
0
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0
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19
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Why we see only one rainbow at some far away and not like many separated by some distance but making that same angle of 42°? [duplicate]
We know that angle needed to see a rainbow assuming sun is at horizon is 42° but then why will that rainbow formation be unique and why not at that angle many rainbows be form in that angle why just a ...
- 512
0
votes
1
answer
481
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Why don't we see rainbows from mirrors?
Should this not be the case whenever light strikes a thick mirror on the whole (obliquely)??
Someone please clarify.
- 651
18
votes
2
answers
2k
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Why are the edges of the shadow so bright?
Today I noticed something while playing with my specs (having diverging lenses).
Have a look at it :
This is the shadow of my specs on the wall in sunlight. The region of the lens appears darker and ...
- 8,230
5
votes
1
answer
686
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What causes this weird shape through frosted glass? [closed]
I was looking at my frosted window and found that the light behind it from the neighbors house looked like this:
Behind the frosted glass is simply an ordinary CFL bulb. The frosting pattern on the ...
- 3,187
1
vote
1
answer
236
views
Why light travels through shortest path during refraction?
I know in order to compensate with change in speed but how does Light actually know which path is less dense or more dense?
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11
votes
3
answers
2k
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Are rainbows three dimensional? If so, what determines their depth? [duplicate]
I am wondering whether rainbows are three dimensional, and if so, what determine their depth? How to calculate the depth of a rainbow, given its radius?
From what I understand, all rainbows are ...
2
votes
2
answers
227
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Can you burn invisible jelly balls with a laser?
Suppose you have some jelly balls with similar refractive index as that of water, like in this video.
You put them in water, making it invisible. So, the optical behavior of the balls should be ...
- 12.5k
0
votes
1
answer
314
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What was the rainbow like object I saw in ice crystals this morning?
This morning, while driving to work, I saw a rainbow-colored pillar formed by ice crystals frozen out of furnace exhaust from chimneys. It was very broad - a bit wider than my (large) hand at arms ...
8
votes
3
answers
654
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Why do rainbows always appear to be far away from us?
We know that the single rainbow we see is actually a continuous cone of rainbow. If so, why don't we see that cone instead of a single, far-away rainbow?
3
votes
1
answer
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"fish appear to be 30% smaller because of the curvature of the tunnel"
I recently visited an aquarium in Malaysia and there was a sign saying that the exhibits in their main tank appear to be smaller by 30% especially when viewed through their tunnel (https://www.youtube....
0
votes
1
answer
93
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Is there a liquid for which the primary and secondary rainbows overlap for visible wavelengths?
This answer to the question Is there a zone where 'colour' overlaps between double rainbows? raises the possibility that, at suitable wavelengths, the primary and secondary rainbows can overlap, if ...
- 134k
1
vote
1
answer
299
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Steam visible in mirror, but not directly
My bathroom sink has a mirror behind it. When I ran the hot water for some time, and some collected, I saw what looked like steam in the mirror. However, to my surprise, I did not see it when I looked ...
- 109
4
votes
2
answers
42k
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Why is it easier to get sunburnt in the water? [duplicate]
I went today to the swimming pool and I remembered that when I was younger my mom used to tell me to be careful because you get sunburnt much more easily in the water than in the ground.
I never gave ...
- 1,563
51
votes
2
answers
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Why do I see better under water using swimming goggles? [duplicate]
I am myopic (I don't really know if this is relevant or not) and I usually swim without contact lenses. My vision is clearly better underwater when I am using swimming goggles.
I have tried to ...
- 1,563
1
vote
1
answer
731
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Why light rays gets scattered when it enters a translucent window pane?
Consider the light source is the light post, outside the window of my house (Pic 1). When the rays from the light post enters through the window pane which is translucent gets scattered and forms a ...
- 1,273
1
vote
0
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Model of scattering in wet things
You know that clothes and some surfaces become darker when wet (covered in an earlier question: why wet is dark?), because of the disordered reflections or of the refractive index of water or ...
- 109
3
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2
answers
3k
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Why can't we reach the ends of rainbow?
Rainbows are spectacular things. But I imagine why we can't reach to the ends of rainbows. Do rainbows have no ends ? If so, why can't we reach at them? If you go closer,they will go further. Why?
user36790
27
votes
5
answers
7k
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Why isn't the sunset/sunrise rainbow-colored
When the sun is rising/setting, it goes through a phase where the light is bending from the atmosphere. I believe this image will explain much better than I ever could.
Now, if light goes through a ...
- 1,083
4
votes
3
answers
229
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Why don't fogbows appear on clouds?
As far as I know clouds are lot of small droplets condensed in air.
If droplets are large enough we see a rainbow. If they are small we see a fogbow.
Although the size of the droplets are big enough ...
- 8,150
15
votes
1
answer
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Why does the light at the bottom of the pool form this awesome pattern?
Take a look at the following picture:
Why does the light at the bottom of the water form this pattern? I have also seen the same phenomenon in all the swimming pools I've ever visited, of whatever ...
- 2,780
2
votes
1
answer
2k
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Why does a mirage disappear as you approach it?
Related: why do mirages only appear on hot day?
The title says it all: why does a mirage disappear as you approach it? The related question does not answer this.
- 235
5
votes
2
answers
2k
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Shape of the rainbow
I have watched Walter Lewin's lecture(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QVbE_tU2sA) which was about the rainbows. But there is still a question bothering me.
I understood the first part of the ...
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