Recent content by Coolcrab

So I've been reading my optics book (again) and came on an insight, could it be because all the reflected red light is in the same phase and has constructive interference while all the other light has destructive interference?

http://plc.cwru.edu/tutorial/enhanced/files/lc/phase/Graphics%5Cschem.BMP I was hoping someone could help me with understanding why a row of polarizes reflects a light wave when the whole row (the pitch P) is the same length as the wavelength of the light...

I now know that the poleriser would not cansel out all the light, but rather repolerise/absorb a bit. But I still don't get why red light would be reflected, while the rest is let trough. Edit: red light in the case the the pitch has the length of red light's wavelength

I don't think that it has to do with reflection of the back, as they say that that's often black to absorb everything that comes trough. So it has to reflect all red light, while letting trough all the other light. But I don't see why or how. And yea I, saw that source :P

If you look at liquid crystals in things like moodrings and LCthermometers then you will notice that they can change color when heated. Now I have looked on the internet and found that it has to do with the The cholesteric (or chiral nematic) liquid crystal phase, where they align with each...

Uhu, and that's what we are talking about, the pure stuff, not mixtures.

Yea, that's the brewster angle, but that's not what happens to snowflakes right? In the way that its not a reflection, but rather a whole bunch of randomly scatted light Also, does this same phenomenon make clouds white? Because it does seem to be the same effect. The only difference being...

Thats because I don't agree with you, it can be white when impure but pure ice is translucent and blueish. Glass isn't white, but if crack it and look at the cracks then those are. It has to do with how even the crystal is.

Yea but isn't that because of the same reason? Ice that's frozen unevenly will have lots of impurities and hence more faced to reflect light off.

So I was wondering why snow is white as water and ice are not. I looked around on the internet and found a few explanations (which didn't all match, so I decided to post what I believe it to be now, and you guys can tell me if I am right or not :P) So light reflects off surfaces, you can see...