Scattering of Light Definition
When light passes through one medium, some portion of the light is absorbed by the medium’s particles when it goes to another medium, such as air or a glass of water then some intensity of light is radiated in the direction of the coming light but some part of it defected to different direction based on the wavelength of the constituent light. This phenomenon is known as a scattering of light.
In the afternoon, you may observe the bending of multicoloured light due to refraction and total internal reflection. Sunlight contains different colours of light, each with a different wavelength that can be separated as it passes through the atmosphere. Rayleigh’s scattering theory can help explain why the sky appears blue and why the sun appears red during sunrise or sunset. The theory states that shorter wavelengths of light, such as blue light, are scattered more easily by atmospheric particles, while longer wavelengths, like red light, pass through with less scattering.
Scattering of Light
Scattering of Light is a fascinating phenomenon that occurs when light travel through different mediums and is scattered by the particles of the medium or other irregularities. Light is nothing but energy which can be either considered waves or particles (dual nature of light) and travels in a straight line and as light reaches our eyes then we can see everything around us. The scattering of light has significant implications in daily life, from the colour of the sky to the colour of clouds are all examples of scattering of light. As there is various terminology involved in the explanation of the scattering of light such as refraction. Thus, let’ understanding refraction in brief before the detailed explanation of scattering and its types.
Table of Content
- Refraction of Light Definition
- Scattering of Light Definition
- Factors Affecting Scattering of Light
- Size of the particles
- Wavelength of the Ray
- Different forms of Scattering of light
- Applications of Scattering of Light
- White Colour of Clouds
- Tyndall Effect
- Sample Questions on Scattering of Light