Reflection Definition and 915 Threads

Consider two adjacent transparent media. The speed of light through Medium 1 is v1, and the speed of light through Medium 2 is v2. If v1<v2, then total internal reflection will occur at the interface between these media if a beam of light is? I said incident in Medium 1 and stikes the...

We were asked to make generalisations for the following: a.) if a point is reflected along y = x+c b.) if a point is reflected along y = -x+c i came up w/ the ff.: a.) if a point is reflected along y = x+c, then the general point (a, b) will become (b-c, a+c) b.) if a point is reflected along...

hi i was studying the "wave characteristics of transmission lines". while considering the lines with resistive termination, the term "voltage reflection coefficient(VRC)" came. With reference to the book, "Field and Wave Electromagnetics", by David K. Cheng, the following expression was...

Homework Statement A speeder is pulling directly away and increasing his distance from a police car that is moving at 29 m/s with respect to the ground. The radar gun in the police car emits an electromagnetic wave with a frequency of 8.0x109 Hz. The wave reflects from the speeder\'s car and...

Question, If in a vacuum, I have a laser pointing into a mirrior which bounces between two mirriors on the same spot, do the photons / laser energy continuously build up? If not whare does it go?

Hello, This is my first post to physicsforums. I hope I've picked the right forum for this question, please correct me if not :blushing: To answer my question you'll have to have the book "QED, the strange theory of light and matter" in front of your eyes. I'm now reading Feynman's QED...

So, if you have a mirror and a particle and the source emits one photon, which one hits the particle, the photon or it's reflection in the mirror or both?

Reflection is not considered to be a measurement. Reflection, like using lenses is considered to be a time-reversible process. It is not a measurement and it does not erase the coherence (interference pattern) Here is what I don't understand What happens to the momentum of the photon? The...

Hi Part 1 If I shot a laser beam into a square box where each wall is a perfect mirror and the box is filled with a vacuum and devoid of any other material that could interfere with the light beam apart from the perfect mirrors. Q/ Would that light beam continue to bounce around forever...

Hello, this question might not be particularly clear, but I'd like a quantum mechanical description of the classical idea of external reflection by a medium. Now, the way I see it, a photon (or numerous photons if necessary) approach the boundary of a medium. Classically, the reflected wave has...

My kitchen window looks into an (out house) the out house is where i keep my bikes so it is securely locked. So at night i am cooking a meal and see my reflection in the window just as clear as in a mirror. I am wearing a stripey jumper which also shows clearly in the reflection, as i move...

Homework Statement Let T1 be the reflection about the line 2x–5y=0 and T2 be the reflection about the line –4x+3y=0 in the euclidean plane. (i) The standard matrix of T1 o T2 is: ? Thus T1 o T2 is a counterclockwise rotation about the origin by an angle of _ radians? (ii) The...

it is known that light reflected at the Brewster angle is plane polarized. This is due to during an oscillation of charge, no transverse wave is generated in the direction of oscillation, and the amplitude is maximum for wave propagating perpendicular to the direction of oscillation. But i came...

Hey I am currently looking into refractometry, and how light reflects off a interface between to materials. I have looked through most of the other threads but nothing really explained what I am looking for. My problem, I have a digital refractometer and I am measuring the reflective angle...

As I understand that the electrons absorb the radiation and then re-radiate a part (or color) towards the incoming radiation is called reflection. However, if the frequency of radiation absorbed and re-radiated is dependent on the electron state, how does a faithful reflection of all visible...

I am trying to understand the laws of reflection better. I know that if a large flat mirror is placed on one wall of a room that the room appears larger than it actually is, but by how much? Is it exactly twice as big? Also, How does the size of the image that is reflected from a plane...

I just helped make history today......wow. Did anyone notice the McCain people Booo every time he mentioned Obama. But the Obama people clapped for McCain out of respect. I though both had amazing speeches. Finally, America is back on track. Its long over due. I look forward to my...

Homework Statement I've got my exam in solid state physics tomorrow, and although I've understood most of the most complex subjects now, I feel I'm missing the understanding on one fundamental phenomena; Bragg reflection.. Throughout Kittel it's mentioned, that when we're at the first...

When laser light is reflected from a diffuse surface, what is the reason that it appears speckled?

Hi, When exactly does the phase change of \pi occur when a EM wave reflects from a surface? I notice that it happens in Lloyd's mirror for example, and also when considering non reflective coatings on lenses. Is it just when the EM wave is going into a medium with higher refractive index or...

1. The Problem A thin beam of white light is directed at an angle α = 36.4° with respect to the horizontal, onto the top of a square block of silicate flint glass near its top corner. The perpendicular length of the block (or height is 1cm). The block’s refractive index n is 1.66 for blue...

What is the thinnest film of MgF2 (n = 1.39) on glass that produces a strong reflection for light with a wavelength of 680 nm? This is the exact question I am faced with. I didn't really know where to begin so I tried using the ratio of n-air/wavelength to n-film/(new wavelength) to try and...

First off, let me apologize if this is in the wrong section, but I was not entirely sure what branch the answer would fall under. Okay, my question is this (and its probably pretty obvious): If water is clear, what makes it an almost perfect mirror when you look across a still lake? My...

In Diamonds, light that enters gets trapped within due to total internal reflection, defined as: Total internal reflection is an optical phenomenon that occurs when a ray of light strikes a medium boundary at an angle larger than the critical angle with respect to the normal to the surface...

Could some explain the difference in refraction and reflection in optics and sound waves?

[Solved] Total internal reflection, underwater light? Homework Statement A point source of light is at the bottom of a koi pond, at a depth of 0.525 meters. What is the radius of the circle of light formed on the water's surface? Take the index of refraction of water to be 1.33. Hint: Some of...

A material with an index of refraction of 1.44 is used to coat glass. The index of refraction of glass is 1.5. What is the minimum thickness of the coating that will minimize the reflection of light with a wavelength of 4680 A? Answer in units of µm. I know that the thickness for this is t =...

Homework Statement In the figure shown below, a light ray enters a glass slab (with index of refraction nglass = 1.65 ) at point A and then undergoes total internal reflection at point B. The medium that surrounds the glass slab is a liquid whose index of refraction, nliquid =...

Hello there, Let me start by saying this question is going to make me look somewhat ridiculous considering the complexity of most other questions floating around here, but I'm not a maths or physics student and never have been; rather I'm a graphic designer with a basic query in relation to a...

Homework Statement A quantum mechanical particle with mass m and energy E approaches a potential drop from the -x region, where the potential is described by: V(x)=\left\{\stackrel{0 textrm{if} x\leq 0}{-V_0 textrm{if} x> 0}. What is the probability it will be reflected by the potential...

(SOLVED) Calculator Entry ErrorAngles of Reflection of Light A ray of light strikes a flat 2.00 cm thick block of fused quartz (n = 1.458) at an angle of θ = 27.0° with the normal (Fig. P22.18). Trace the light beam through the fused quartz and find the angles of incidence and refraction at...

In Feynman's lectures he describes partial reflection as occurring because the "little arrows" cancel out when the glass is certain thickness. I realize that there isn't an actual model of how QED works but what exactly does he mean by "cancel out"? Also when do you shrink and turn the little...

I have an assignment to due and it asks for the angle of reflection, but I don't know how to get it. This is the question: "A beam of light is directed on the flat surface of a block of fused quartz (n=1.92). Part of the beam is refracted with an angle of refraction of 30°. What is the angle...

Hello all, I have a quick question. If i put two identical mirrors right next to each other on the same surface at the same level and stand in the middle of it will i see two of me or will it act like looking myself if that mirror was one single piece. Thanks!

Light is reflected by two flat mirrors that have an angle q = 114 degrees between them. If the initial ray makes an angle qin = 66 degress with respect to the normal, what is qout? http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/4791/mirrorxz9.th.png I know that the angle of incidence is equal to the...

Do photons reflected off prisms exert directional force however small as they are reflected off the hypotenuse side of a right triangle shaped prism?

Homework Statement We have waves propagating in the air. First part asks for a traveling wave solution in the x direction , given a wave length 2pi and amplitude 3m. I have obtained u(x,t) = 3 cos ( x - 345t). The question then asks what happens if a wall is placed at x=0, what is the form of...

Homework Statement V is a three-dimensional euclidean space and v1,v2,v3 is a orthonormal base of that space. Calculate the Matrix of the reflection over the subspace spanned by v1+v2 and v1+2*v2+3*v3 . Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution To determine the matrix I...

http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/6094/questionuz8.png i) What is the angle of refraction of the ray RS after it strikes the glass prism of refractive index=1.5? ii) If the critical angle is 41.8 degrees, deduce whether the ray will suffer total internal reflection. 2. Homework Equations ...

Why are we not able to capture and store light between two mirrors? I'm going to take a guess at the answer but I'd like to hear from someone who knows for sure... I'm wondering if you actually can for a small amount of time, but the inefficiencies of an imperfect mirror cause some light to be...

Homework Statement Part of a longer question, what is the phase change, if any for a system of three substances of different n where there is surface reflection between n1 and n_f which is meant to constructively interfere with another surface reflection between n_f and n3.where n1 < n_f >...

I have written in my notes the following: "Total internal reflection will have reflecting ray only, same as incident (60 degrees)." I understand everything but the 60 degrees part. If there is total internal reflection, will the angle of reflection and the angle of incident both always be...

[SOLVED] Internal Reflection Problem Homework Statement (please check attachment for figure) ni = 1 nr = 1.48 theta_I = 50 degrees l = 3.1 mm w = 42 cm Find N (Number of reflections before laser beam finally emerges). Homework Equations Snell's Law: ni sin theta_I = nr sin theta_r The...

Homework Statement 3. Assume the slab is perfectly rectangular and has width W. (a) Calculate the distance (L) the light travels INSIDE the block as a function of W and the angle t1. (b) From the right-angled triangle with vertices IPE calculate the lateral displacement x in terms of...

Homework Statement A potential well with V(x)=0 for x<0 and V(x) = Vo for x>0. The particle has energy E greater than Vo and is incident from the left side. Calculate the reflection coefficient. Homework Equations Relfection coefficient is given by R= (B*B)/(A*A) The Attempt at a...

Could someone explain how the reflection formula comes about? R_a v = v - 2a(va)/ (aa) , where v and a are vectors and v is relected along the axis orthogonal to a thanks

Homework Statement A diver shines a flashlight upward from beneath the water at a 23.0° angle to the vertical. At what angle does the light leave the water? Homework Equations I thought that i could use snell's law here...but i don't know what to do afterwards... The Attempt at a...

Folks, I'm reading the 3rd edition of Thin Film Optical Filters by Macleod, and I've derived his expression for phase shift upon reflection (page 45). Finally, it lead me to a question. Any help is highly appreciated! \rm E_i + E_r = E_t \qquad (1) \rm H_i - H_r = H_t \qquad (2)...

Why is it that T.I.R. only occurs when a light is traveling from a denser to a rarer medium? Intuition suggests that this should happen when going from a rarer to a denser medium. Care to get into some mathematics? Also, can the interface between 2 media be designed so that there is 100%...

My lecturer has given me this formula for reflective diffraction m landa = d (cos a - cos b) where m is order # landa is wavelength d is slit seperation a is angle of inicdence b is angle of reflection The problem I have is I wasn't given any justification of this and have...