A General Question about Light

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SUMMARY

Light is a form of energy that travels and reflects off surfaces. When a light switch is turned off, the room goes dark due to the cessation of light emission. In a hypothetical scenario with a light source surrounded by mirrors, if 99.99% of the light is reflected, the light would continue to bounce indefinitely, but the intensity diminishes exponentially. The calculation of remaining light after numerous reflections can be determined using the formula 0.9999^300,000, which quantifies the minuscule amount of light that remains after extensive reflections.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of basic physics concepts related to light and energy.
  • Familiarity with the properties of reflection and absorption in optics.
  • Knowledge of exponential decay and mathematical calculations.
  • Basic comprehension of light behavior in enclosed spaces.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the principles of light reflection and absorption in optics.
  • Explore the mathematical implications of exponential decay in physical systems.
  • Investigate the behavior of light in idealized environments, such as vacuum or perfect mirrors.
  • Learn about the speed of light and its implications in various mediums.
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Students of physics, educators in optics, and anyone interested in the properties and behavior of light in reflective environments.

Smurf
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Ok, so light is a form of energy created by a number of Phenomena, it is created and then it.. moves.. and it bounces off of stuff and keeps moving. So why is it when you turn off the light switch, that the room suddenly goes dark? What causes the light to shift forms?
What I really want to know though is what would happen if you had a light source in the middle of a room with nothing but mirrors on the inside, and then suddenly look away the light source, would the light keep reflecting back and forth for ever?
 
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Suppose that 99.99% of the light that strikes a wall (mirror) gets reflected (i.e. only 0.01% gets absorbed. If the average distance between bounces is, say, 30 feet then over the course of 10 ms (about the shortest interval of time you can perceive) the light will have reflected about 300,000 times. Evaluate [itex]0.9999^{300,000}[/itex] which will give the amount of light remaining and then try to answer your own question! :-)
 

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