All Questions
Tagged with refraction reflection
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Reflection at asymmetrically shaped refractive-index profile
Hi. I have a question on reciprocity in optical reflection.
We have a refractive index profile (as a function of x) that continuously varies (Figure). At x=-inf and +inf, n = n1. Around x=0, the ...
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What is a rainbow?
What is a rainbow?
I've read that an image is formed when light rays after reflection meet.
So in case of a rainbow when light ray after refraction by the water droplet reaches our eye than wouldn't ...
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Total Internal reflection and law of reflection
Does the 2nd law of reflection (i.e angle of incidence equal to angle of reflection) holds for total internal reflection?
user324098
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Is there any physical interpretation of the refracted light in the case of total internal reflection?
In the case of total internal reflection trying to obtain the angle of refraction leads to a value which cannot be represented as a real value.
$$ \sin(\theta_t) = \frac{n_1}{n_2}\sin(\theta_i) \qquad\...
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Alternative Schlieren parabolic mirror configuration
I have sourced two parabolic mirrors and am planning to set up a Schlieren for ultrasonic visualization and future fluids projects.
A very common dual parabolic mirror configuration is the Z-type, ...
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How do we perceive object distance in refraction/reflection?
Suppose we have some object, from which light rays reflect off and reach our eye. In this example, we can directly see this object, and the image is formed on our retina.
However, consider a coin kept ...
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Is there a way to direct light toward the same location regardless of the angle of incidence?
E.g., picture a circular hole in the center of a roof of an otherwise opaque cubical room on a sunny day. As the sun moves across the sky the spot will move across the floor and walls of the room, ...
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Is rainbow formed in front or behind of a water droplets?
Single water droplet gives rise to formation of only a small part of rainbow.
Is that part formed in between observer and droplet or behind the droplet and not between them?
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Total internal reflection doesn't occur when it is supposed to
I figured out that when I aim a laser beam on my window at an arbitrary angle, the total internal reflection doesn't occur whatsoever. What's more, the refracted beam seems to be pretty intense. It ...
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What is an example of experimental confirmation of Fresnel equations?
I have been reading about Fresnel equations, but I am struggling to find a single experiment where it was experimentally demonstrated that indeed polarised light follows the function predicted by ...
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Why is the number of light rays refracted from a transparent media more than the number of reflected rays?
I came across a question related to the multiple image formation from a thick mirror due to partial refraction and reflection. It was asked that which image would be the most intense? In the solution ...
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Consider 4 cases of water droplet, ie when water droplet is in sea, in glass, in air after rain, as humidity?
When water droplet is in air as water vapours it scatters blue light, after rain by refraction dispersion and TIR it forms rainbow , in sea it scatters blue light while water in glass ( drinking ...
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How can the image be any size orher than the object?
Am image is just the set of images of all the points on the thing. The complete image has to be the same size as the object if there is exactly one image for each point on the object forming it. So an ...
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Spherical mirrors or parabolic mirrors?
I am a high school student and have learnt about how curved surfaces reflect and refract (in "ray optics").
We were always told that these surfaces were spherical in shape, meaning they were ...
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Derivation in ray optics
How to derive the formula for magnification in spherical mirrors and thin spherical lenses?
I already know the relationship between image distance (v), object distance (u) and focal length (f), in ...
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