What is the light behaviour through different media?
The light is an electromagnetic wave, It is a form of energy that can travel freely across space, where the light rays travel through the vacuum present in the form of a wave when traveling in the transparent medium present in the form of particles.
The light waves
The light travels more slowly through the transparent materials than through a vacuum, so, the light bends as it enters or leaves the glass.
Light behaviour through different media
The light transmits through different media with variable degrees, So, Media can be classified according to their ability to allow the light to pass through, into transparent medium, translucent (semi-transparent) medium, and opaque medium.
The transparent medium
The transparent medium is the medium which permits most light to pass through, the objects can be seen clearly through a transparent medium, the materials like the air, the pure water, the glass cup and the clear glass in a window are called transparent.
The transparent medium transmits all visible light, the color of a transparent object depends on the color of light that transmits, So if red light passes through a transparent object, the emerging light is red.
Although the water is a transparent medium, we can not see fish at the bottom of the sea as the thickness of the water at that point ( the bottom ) is large enough to prevent the light to pass through, By increasing the thickness of the transparent medium, the quantity of light that passes through it decreases.
The translucent medium
The translucent medium is the medium which permits only a part of the light to pass through and absorbs the remaining part, the objects can be seen through translucent medium less clearly than the transparent one.
The materials like frosted glass and some plastics, flint glass and tissue paper are called translucent objects, when the light transmits the materials, only some of the light passes through them.
The light does not pass directly through the materials, It changes the direction many times and it is scattered as it passes through, so, we cannot see clearly through them.
The objects on the other side of a translucent object appear fuzzy and unclear, As the translucent objects are semi-transparent, some ultraviolet rays can go through them, this is why a person behind a translucent object can get a sunburn on a sunny day.
The opaque medium
The opaque medium is the medium that does not permit the light to pass through, and the objects can not be seen through the opaque medium.
Most materials are opaque, When the light strikes an opaque object none of it passes through, most of the light is either reflected by the object or absorbed and converted to heat.
The materials such as the wood, the stone, the metals, the plant leaves, the foil paper, the milk, the book, the cartoon, the human skin, and the black honey (molasses) are opaque to visible light.
The cartoon is an opaque medium because it does not permit the light to pass through and the objects can not be seen behind it.
The nature of light waves and analysis of white light
Dispersion of White light analysis, Normal prism and thin prism
Applications on the total reflection of light (Optical fibers, Reflecting prism & Mirage)
Light waves properties, Analysis of white light, Spectrum colours & Light intensity
Types & Laws of light reflection, Regular & Irregular reflection of light
