Apparent reversal by stroboscope

Thread starter vin300
Start date Aug 30, 2014

AI Thread Summary

The stroboscopic effect causes rotating objects to appear to freeze or reverse their motion when viewed through a stroboscope. This phenomenon occurs because the strobe light flashes at a specific frequency that matches the rotation speed of the object, creating an optical illusion. It is closely related to the wagon-wheel effect, where wheels appear to move backward or stand still due to the timing of the observer's perception. Both effects highlight the limitations of human visual perception and the influence of light on motion perception. Understanding these effects can enhance studies in physics and visual media.

Aug 30, 2014

vin300

Why does a rotating object appear to freeze or reverse it's motion when viewed through a stroboscope?

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Aug 30, 2014

Drakkith

Mentor

This is called the stroboscopic effect: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroboscopic_effect
It is similar to the wagon-wheel effect: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wagon-wheel_effect

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