Can you trap light indefinitely?

[Grace-low]

If you heat a box to red hot then open a hole and shine red light in from a red lamp. Then close that hole and open another hole red light will come out. I don't know how to make sure it is the light that you shine in though.

 

[Drakkith]

If you heat a box to red hot then open a hole and shine red light in from a red lamp. Then close that hole and open another hole red light will come out. I don't know how to make sure it is the light that you shine in though.

It will not be the same light. The speed of light is so quick that all of the red light you shone inside will be absorbed well before you can even close the first hole.

 

[Braincol]

If you had a sphere made of a material that took in light but didn't let it escape the sphere would the sphere heat up indefinitely? Resulting in infinite heat leading to infinite energy.

 

[DaveC426913]

If you had a sphere made of a material that took in light but didn't let it escape the sphere would the sphere heat up indefinitely? Resulting in infinite heat leading to infinite energy.

No.

The light is converted to heat. And it's limited to however much you put in.

 

[davenn]

If you had a sphere made of a material that took in light but didn't let it escape the sphere would the sphere heat up indefinitely? Resulting in infinite heat leading to infinite energy.

you also have to define your definition of "light" in your example
do you mean visible light ?

Any visible light absorbed by the sphere will heat it up, but that heat will be dissipated by some or all of the following ...
conduction, convection or E/M radiation ... IR ( infra-red) at lower frequencies (wavelengths)Dave

 

[Pep]

It is possible, but not as simple as trapping light with mirrors. First a box would never do, you need a sphere, Mirrors will never work, so we use energy to deflect the light, One could image it looking like a 3d David’s star, additionally the capsule or sphere in this case would have to be a bit more than a ball of mirrors, it would have to be surrounded by other elements and materials that protect the inner space of the sphere making it absolute neutral to all things, including radio, radiation, and air. capturing light would cause the sphere to reach extreme Temperatures, light can be captured indefinitely. It’s a pretty high tech thing :)

 

[Drakkith]

It is possible, but not as simple as trapping light with mirrors. First a box would never do, you need a sphere, Mirrors will never work, so we use energy to deflect the light, One could image it looking like a 3d David’s star, additionally the capsule or sphere in this case would have to be a bit more than a ball of mirrors, it would have to be surrounded by other elements and materials that protect the inner space of the sphere making it absolute neutral to all things, including radio, radiation, and air. capturing light would cause the sphere to reach extreme Temperatures, light can be captured indefinitely. It’s a pretty high tech thing :)

Not true. There is currently no way to trap light indefinitely. I'm sorry but your explanation just doesn't make any sense and doesn't seem to be grounded in actual physics.

 

[StephenJP]

I asked this question when I was in 9th grade science and everyone acted like I was stupid.
I asked some other quetions where they acted the same way and a short time later I saw those ideas marketed.
To laugh at someone for asking a question is stupid, questions are how we got to where we are.
No question is a stupid question except the ones not asked.
Gee, all those other planets are round, do you suppose the Earth may also be round and not flat like we thought ?
haha ha, now your excommunicated for asking a question that doesn't follow the known supposition. rrrr