- #1
Xyius
- 508
- 4
I am having trouble conceptualizing and drawing situations that involve glass, or any other medium that light travels through and doesn't totally reflect like mirrors. For example, say I have an object in a glass bowl of some sort. I know that the light rays will travel until they hit the glass. This is where I get confused. I know some of the light will travel through the glass bowl and some will reflect. I know that the ones that reflect will reflect with the same incident angle, except on the opposite direction of the normal. I also know that when the light passes through the glass and into the surrounding medium, it will refract assuming their refractive indexes are different. (Excluding the refractive properties in the glass itself.) AND I know that all the refracted beams will converge to a point. What I DON'T know is, what constitutes the image? By that I mean, if all the light rays converge outside the bowl, does that mean the image is seen outside the bowl? That doesn't make sense so it can't mean that.
As another example, if the bowl if full of water, the images tend to look bigger than they actually are. Is this because the light bounces off the sides and converges INSIDE the bowl some where closer to the wall? Why doesn't my drawing reflect that? If anyone could help me understand this I would appreciate it very much!
EDIT: Does the "Mirror Equation" apply here? Even though it isn't a mirror?
As another example, if the bowl if full of water, the images tend to look bigger than they actually are. Is this because the light bounces off the sides and converges INSIDE the bowl some where closer to the wall? Why doesn't my drawing reflect that? If anyone could help me understand this I would appreciate it very much!
EDIT: Does the "Mirror Equation" apply here? Even though it isn't a mirror?