- #1
primal schemer
- 54
- 0
Hi Guys,
I`m having a bit of trouble understanding photons, and have thought up of a scenario that may clear up my thinking on it.
First of all, imagine a completely dark room (say, one made completely out of concrete, with no doors or anything, so light can`t sneak in through keyholes etc). I am standing at one side of the room, and on the other there is an object (say a red car), which I can`t see. Why can`t I see it?? Is it because the car isn`t emitting any photons, or that it is, but I just can`t see them.
I remember reading a similar post somewhere (not sure if it was on this forum or not) where somebody replied that I couldn`t see the car as my eyes weren`t used to the darkness or something, and that after a while, after my eyes had adjusted it would become visible. This doesn`t make sense to me, as I would have thought that this could only happen if there was at least *some* light in the room, which there isn`t (remember, no keyholes!)
Now, I take a torch and shine a beam of light at the car. Now I can see it, what has changed?? Is it that the light from the torch is being reflected off the car back to me, or that the light 'stimulates' the car, so that it emits photons back to me (and presumably in every direction).
help would be appreciated...
I`m having a bit of trouble understanding photons, and have thought up of a scenario that may clear up my thinking on it.
First of all, imagine a completely dark room (say, one made completely out of concrete, with no doors or anything, so light can`t sneak in through keyholes etc). I am standing at one side of the room, and on the other there is an object (say a red car), which I can`t see. Why can`t I see it?? Is it because the car isn`t emitting any photons, or that it is, but I just can`t see them.
I remember reading a similar post somewhere (not sure if it was on this forum or not) where somebody replied that I couldn`t see the car as my eyes weren`t used to the darkness or something, and that after a while, after my eyes had adjusted it would become visible. This doesn`t make sense to me, as I would have thought that this could only happen if there was at least *some* light in the room, which there isn`t (remember, no keyholes!)
Now, I take a torch and shine a beam of light at the car. Now I can see it, what has changed?? Is it that the light from the torch is being reflected off the car back to me, or that the light 'stimulates' the car, so that it emits photons back to me (and presumably in every direction).
help would be appreciated...