Scattering in water or atmosphere

[coke]

hi, i want to know why scattering can occur when the light beam meet the particle, dust in atmosphere or molecules in water ..., but why not when they meet the glass surface and let the electrons in the glass surface be scattered? can anyone kindly help me, and tell me more about this ? thanks very much.

 

[Andy Resnick]

There is scattering in both cases. In one, most of the light is forward scattered, while form another, there is considerable angular scattering.

There's no need to invoke atoms- simple geometry (size of beam vs. object) is sufficient.

 

[astrokreng]

Scattering is a phenomenon that occurs when a light beam interacts with particles or molecules in a medium, causing the light to change direction and spread out in different directions. This can happen in both water and the atmosphere, as well as in other mediums such as glass.

The reason scattering occurs when light meets particles or molecules in water or the atmosphere is due to the size and composition of these particles. When light hits these particles, they act as tiny obstacles that cause the light to change direction. The smaller the particle, the more likely it is to scatter light in all directions.

In the case of glass, the particles are much larger and more closely packed together, making it more difficult for light to scatter. Additionally, the composition of glass is different from that of water or the atmosphere, meaning it may not interact with light in the same way.

It's also important to note that scattering can occur in glass, but it may not be as noticeable as in water or the atmosphere due to the structure and composition of glass.

I hope this helps to explain why scattering occurs in certain mediums and not others. If you would like to learn more about this topic, I suggest doing further research on the properties of different materials and their interactions with light.