Grade 12Electromagnetic Induction

? phenomena of Scattering of light

morden

11 Years agoGrade 12

1 Answer

rahul

11 Years ago

Light comprises waves. When looking at waves of water, if plane ripples hit an obstacle larger than their wavelength, you will observe them bending around the edge of the obstacle. Light waves show the same phenomenon, called light diffraction, when they bend around an obstacle larger than their wavelength. Meanwhile, when these waves of light collide with particles and molecules smaller than their wavelengths in the atmosphere, they cause the particles and molecules to "relay" their wave motion, radiating light in the same wavelength into the surrounding air.

EXAMPLE:

Blue and red are two components of light. Blue light has a short wavelength, while the wavelength of red is long. The shorter the wavelength, the stronger the light scattered. (Blue light is strongly scattered.)

During the day, the sky looks blue because of this strong scattering. At dawn and dusk, light passes through the atmosphere for a longer period, which scatters blue light waves. Red and orange, with their longer wavelengths, dominate because they scatter less, which is why the sky looks red early in the day and when the sun is setting.