Mirror Box & Daylight: What Happens?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a hypothetical scenario involving a box lined with mirrors that is closed in daylight. Participants explore whether the light inside the box would remain contained and illuminated, considering factors such as reflection and absorption of light.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests that light inside a perfectly reflective box would bounce indefinitely and could exit when the box is reopened, assuming no absorption occurs.
  • Another participant challenges the assumption of perfect reflection, noting that light is typically absorbed and re-emitted, and questions the feasibility of maintaining light in such a box.
  • A concern is raised about how to verify the presence of light in the box, as any detection method would involve light absorption.
  • There is a mention of the Compton effect, with one participant questioning whether photons lose energy with each reflection.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the nature of light reflection and absorption, with no consensus reached on the implications of these factors for the scenario presented.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes assumptions about ideal conditions for reflection and the limitations of detection methods, which remain unresolved.

Juel
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If you had box where the inside was lined with mirrors and you closed the box in daylight, would inside of the box contain the light and be lit up? (Assuming no light was absorbed the edges or elsewhere).
 
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Welcome to PF!

Hi Juel! Welcome to PF! :smile:

Yes, the light that was inside when you closed it would bounce around for ever (if it wasn't absorbed), and come out again when you re-opened the box.
 
When light is reflected, I think it is actually absorbed and re-emitted by the surface, so your stipulation that it is not absorbed might need to be adjusted to say that all the light is totally reflected.
It would have to a pretty special conditions type of box; if it was about a meter across the number of reflections for a single ray of light would be around 300 million times per second.

Even if you could construct and isolate a box system that you thought might be able to support the on going reflection for a few minutes or hours, another question pops up... How would you propose verifying it? Any device - your eye, a camera, or other kind of photo-detector will operate by absorbing light. If you did have a box of light, how would you be able to tell?
 
this question comes up here every couple of months or so, so a forum search might turn up some discussion you would find interesting, although the previous 2 have pretty much said what's important.
 


tiny-tim said:
Hi Juel! Welcome to PF! :smile:

Yes, the light that was inside when you closed it would bounce around for ever (if it wasn't absorbed), and come out again when you re-opened the box.

What about the Compton effect?
 
2112rush2112 said:
What about the Compton effect?

what about it? :confused:
 
tiny-tim said:
what about it? :confused:

Wouldn't the photon give up energy with each reflection?
 

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