Refraction Phenomenon: How Light Rays Travel in Straight Paths

In summary, the light rays are refracted when they fall on a transparent material like glass. The light first gets absorbed by the electrons and then to another electron and so on until it emerges out of the glass. However, it is unlikely that the light travels in a straight path through the glass because the electrons send it in various directions.
  • #1
sahil_time
108
0
Refraction phenomenon!

If Light rays fall on a transparent glass then they get refracted!
They first get absorbed by the electrons and then to another electron and so on till it emerges out of the glass!
But y does the light travel in straight path in the glass itself...how do the electrons particularly send the light in one and only one Direction??Infact light can be emmited in any direction by the electron??SO the Rectilinear Motion in highly Unlikely??
 
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  • #2


I think your view is a misunderstanding of how light travels through a materiel. It interacts with the matter, but I don't believe that the electrons of the matter actually absorb and re-emit the photons.
 
  • #3


Drakkith said:
I think your view is a misunderstanding of how light travels through a materiel. It interacts with the matter, but I don't believe that the electrons of the matter actually absorb and re-emit the photons.

Yeah, this is hard for me to remember, but I believe there were several previous threads/posts on this subject.
Apparently, the issue of photon transference through a medium is quite complicated; not solely involving the "electron absorption/re-emmision issue"
 
  • #4


Drakkith said:
I think your view is a misunderstanding of how light travels through a materiel. It interacts with the matter, but I don't believe that the electrons of the matter actually absorb and re-emit the photons.

actually that's exactly what Richard Feynman says happens.

It was in another topic a couple of weeks ago a similar topic was discussed and from memory it was "cragar" that put some links to some online Feynman videos in which he catagorically stated that the light photons we see reflected, refracted are different ones that entered/interacted with the material ... glass or whatever

Now I had up till that time never heard of this before, it left me quite intrigued

Dave
 
  • #5


Sure. If it were not this way most photons would pass through the glass at c.
 
  • #6


davenn said:
actually that's exactly what Richard Feynman says happens.

It was in another topic a couple of weeks ago a similar topic was discussed and from memory it was "cragar" that put some links to some online Feynman videos in which he catagorically stated that the light photons we see reflected, refracted are different ones that entered/interacted with the material ... glass or whatever

Now I had up till that time never heard of this before, it left me quite intrigued

Dave

Hrmm...I remember from previous discussions being told that the photons were NOT absorbed and re-emitted, but they still interacted with the glass somehow. I'm not sure on the details.
 
  • #7

1. What is refraction phenomenon?

Refraction phenomenon is the bending of light as it passes through different mediums with varying densities. This occurs because light travels at different speeds in different mediums, causing it to change direction when it transitions from one medium to another.

2. How do light rays travel in straight paths?

Light rays travel in straight paths when they are traveling through a uniform medium with a consistent density. This means there are no changes in the speed of the light, so it does not bend or change direction.

3. What causes refraction to occur?

Refraction occurs when light passes through a medium with a different density, such as from air to water. The change in density causes the light to slow down or speed up, which results in a change in direction.

4. How does the angle of incidence affect refraction?

The angle of incidence, or the angle at which the light ray enters the new medium, affects the amount of refraction that occurs. The greater the angle of incidence, the greater the change in direction of the light ray.

5. What are some examples of refraction in everyday life?

Some common examples of refraction in everyday life include the way light bends as it passes through a glass of water, the way objects appear distorted when viewed through a thick lens, and the way rainbows are formed from sunlight passing through raindrops.

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