- #1
plisics
- 11
- 0
I'm new to the forum, so please guide me along. (This is my first post)
This isn't really part of a homework assignment, just something I observed, and am puzzled as to why it occurs:
Shadows seem to stick to each other, as illustrated in the picture below
http://www.inaneasylum.org/users/Photoshag/Default/sd.jpg
A shadow within a shadow produces an elongated shape
What I observed was when there are two objects, object A, B
1) If Object A is closer to the light source than object B
2) And the ojects are positioned such that their shadows meet
3) Then, the shadow of Object B appeaprs to stick to the shadow of Object A
To better show what I mean, I uploaded a video of it on youtube:
Here's another video:
Sorry for the bad quality of the videos, hope it illustrates the phenomena adequetely.
I don't know any equations, maybe there is one that relates the [shape of the elongated shadow] to the [distance between the objects and light source] and the [distance between the two cast shadows]. But this is too complex for me to find. (My mathematics isn't that good)
I know that this merging of shadows has something to do with diffraction, but I am unsure as to how to properly explain it, to me it seems an interesting phenomena, with probably quite a simple explanation behind it. (Perhaps placing a camera between the objects and the light source will reveal what is going on)
I don't think it's an optical illusion. The variation in tones of gray, and the gradient may contribute to it being an optical illusion, but I don not think that that is the only reason.
Hope you guys can help me with this, it should work if you try it at home.
Homework Statement
This isn't really part of a homework assignment, just something I observed, and am puzzled as to why it occurs:
Shadows seem to stick to each other, as illustrated in the picture below
http://www.inaneasylum.org/users/Photoshag/Default/sd.jpg
A shadow within a shadow produces an elongated shape
What I observed was when there are two objects, object A, B
1) If Object A is closer to the light source than object B
2) And the ojects are positioned such that their shadows meet
3) Then, the shadow of Object B appeaprs to stick to the shadow of Object A
To better show what I mean, I uploaded a video of it on youtube:
Here's another video:
Sorry for the bad quality of the videos, hope it illustrates the phenomena adequetely.
Homework Equations
I don't know any equations, maybe there is one that relates the [shape of the elongated shadow] to the [distance between the objects and light source] and the [distance between the two cast shadows]. But this is too complex for me to find. (My mathematics isn't that good)
The Attempt at a Solution
I know that this merging of shadows has something to do with diffraction, but I am unsure as to how to properly explain it, to me it seems an interesting phenomena, with probably quite a simple explanation behind it. (Perhaps placing a camera between the objects and the light source will reveal what is going on)
I don't think it's an optical illusion. The variation in tones of gray, and the gradient may contribute to it being an optical illusion, but I don not think that that is the only reason.
Hope you guys can help me with this, it should work if you try it at home.
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