Charge & Reflection: Explaining What It Means

[Virogen]

The Amasci site makes this statement:

"charge is the stuff that reflects light and makes objects visible..."

Can anyone elaborate on what this means? I cannot think of a way to explain it at all - I don't even understand how charges could reflect light.

Thanks!

 

[Bill_K]

Well, charges are pretty much the only things that interact with electromagnetism, so in that sense I guess this is true. It's an awfully broad and sweeping statement, however, and leaves out a lot of details. Anyway for a metal, an incoming beam of light causes the electrons near the surface to oscillate. Acting like little dipoles they reradiate the energy, producing a reflected beam.

 

[HallsofIvy]

It's simply wrong. It's not "charge" that reflects light- it is electrons. Electrons absorb a photon, then re-emit it.

 

[Drakkith]

It's simply wrong. It's not "charge" that reflects light- it is electrons. Electrons absorb a photon, then re-emit it.

Would a plasma consisting solely of protons/neutrons and no electrons have any effect on light?

 

[Discord7]

Does Drakkith's question present suggestion for nature of dark matter? Would pure clusters of protons have no way to radiate any electromagnetic radiation?