Do diamonds reflect EM waves ?

AI Thread Summary
Diamonds can reflect electromagnetic (EM) waves, particularly within the visible spectrum (440nm to 770nm), due to their refractive properties. They also reflect sound effectively, especially when surrounded by air, due to the impedance mismatch. While diamonds are generally good electrical insulators, certain blue diamonds can act as semiconductors because of boron impurities. The discussion touches on the idea of "charging" diamonds with static electricity, but suggests that other materials like amber may be more effective for this purpose. Overall, diamonds exhibit unique reflective qualities across different types of waves.
sbratva
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Radio or any other wave in electromagnetic spectrum?

Sound perhaps?

And at what frequency(ies)
 
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Well, at an oblique enough angle, they'll certainly reflect EM waves between 440nm and 770nm. Of that we can be sure.
 
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sbratva said:
any other wave in electromagnetic spectrum?
Visible light is part of the EM spectrum, and a diamond's particular talent at refracting that is why they're sold as horrendously expensive jewelry. (Optical reflection is just a special form of refraction.)
And just about everything solid reflects sound, in one way or another.
 
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The can reflect some waves sometimes, but they can't reflect all the waves all the times.

At the Bragg angle they reflect x-rays.
 
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Pretty much anything with index of refraction not equal to 1 will reflect some EM radiation at its surface (assuming it is surrounded by air or vacuum) in accordance with Fresnel reflection http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresnel_equations

Metals are a weird case because they have complex refractive indices, but diamond simply follows the equation.
 
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Sound is not an EM wave but diamond will reflect it as well. Actually it will reflect is very well if the diamond is in air, as the impedance mismatch is huge.
 
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Thanks for replies fellas.

Last question.

Can you "charge" diamonds (rough) with let's say, electromagnetism?
 
sbratva said:
Can you "charge" diamonds (rough) with let's say, electromagnetism?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Material_properties_of_diamond

Except for most natural blue diamonds, which are semiconductors due to substitutional boron impurities replacing carbon atoms, diamond is a good electrical insulator, having a resistivity of 100 GΩ·m to 1 EΩ·m[28] (1011 to 1018 Ω·m).
There's a lot more to the article, but this is as far as I dare quote due to copyright.
 
sbratva said:
Thanks for replies fellas.

Last question.

Can you "charge" diamonds (rough) with let's say, electromagnetism?
What do you mean by "charge"? Charge with what?
 
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sbratva said:
Thanks for replies fellas.
Can you "charge" diamonds (rough) with let's say, electromagnetism?

Like, get a cat and rub the diamond on the cat and notice the static electricity?
"If you like it then you should have put a ring on it."
 
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nasu said:
Sound is not an EM wave but diamond will reflect it as well. Actually it will reflect is very well if the diamond is in air, as the impedance mismatch is huge.
I would like to be able to afford a big enough diamond to have any significant reflections out in the open! :)
A lady / fiancee with particularly big hands needed too.
Diamond is like all solids, being much more dense than air - and a pretty stiff material, too.
 
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