Light, photons, reflection and percentages

[cyberstu]

Hey all, I am new to these forums. I am thinking of taking a distance learning degree in the near future from Open University in Physics, so decided to do some reading up first as it has been a while since I have etuched physics.

Anyway I am reading a book at the minute "Quantam Theory cannot hurt you" by Marcus Chown, and it is discussing light and reflection. It is saying that if 95% percent of all light is reflected, however each photon has a 95% chance of passing thru a glass window a 5% chance of passing through. However what if only one or two light photons hit a glass window, surely if one photon hit it would be 100% refelected or passed through and if two photons hit it would be 50 50.

Thanks for any replies I get.

 

[mishrashubham]

That is only an accuracy observed due to a small sample size. When we say the probability of an event is x%, it means that the event should occur around x times out of a hundred trials. Taking a small number trials cannot give us and accurate prediction. For example if you roll a die only once, you would definitely observe some number. However that doesn't mean that the probability of getting that number is 100%.
You would observe that as you gradually increase the number of photons in your case, the number reflected back would be come closer and closer to 95%.