Why Does Light Reflect? - Unraveling the Mystery

[Tom H]

Why does light reflect?

I know that it does, and the rules and uses connected with this, but WHY does the em wave actually change direction on hitting a shiny surface? Is it at an atomic level?

Cheers

Tom H

 

[nickthrop101]

yes, the light hits the electrons in an atom, the light is absorbed then reammited by the electro as it changes energy level. :D so it looks like it has been reflected

 

[Oldfart]

yes, the light hits the electrons in an atom, the light is absorbed then reammited by the electro as it changes energy level. :D so it looks like it has been reflected

But, but... how does the electron "know" to emit the photon such that the angle of reflection exactly equals the angle of incidence? I can picture this happening if the photon simply bounced off the mirror like a ball, but this is evidently not the case. Hmmm...

 

[nasu]

The fact that light changes direction is not an individual atomic or electronic process but an interface process.
The individual electrons in atoms do not scatter light in a specific direction, obeying the law of reflection.

 

[Oldfart]

The fact that light changes direction is not an individual atomic or electronic process but an interface process.
The individual electrons in atoms do not scatter light in a specific direction, obeying the law of reflection.

Thanks, but could you explain what you mean by an "interface process."

 

[cragar]

When you look at an EM wave coming into contact with a conductor .
And you apply the boundary conditions for discontinuities in the electric and magnetic fields and the magnetic and electric constants of the material . you find that you get zero transmitted and the reflected wave is equal to minus the transmitted wave.

http://farside.ph.utexas.edu/teaching/315/Waves/node49.html
This site talks about EM wave propagation in conductors .
And shows that almost all is reflected and some is absorbed .
And i think you can derive the law of reflection based on the electric and magnetic constants of the material and the wave equation.