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henpen
- 50
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I post in the QM section as an answer in terms of photons rather than just EM waves would be better.
henpen said:I post in the QM section as an answer in terms of photons rather than just EM waves would be better.
FeynmanIsCool said:Classical Electrodynamics by JD Jackson will give you a detailed mathematical overview in terms of photons I believe
Vanadium 50 said:Have you read Jackson? There is very little in it on photons.
Reflection is the process by which light bounces off a surface. It occurs when light waves strike a surface and the waves are redirected, either back into the same medium they came from or into a different medium.
At the microscopic level, reflection occurs when a light wave hits a surface and the electric field of the wave interacts with the charged particles in the surface. These particles then vibrate at the same frequency as the light wave and emit their own electromagnetic waves. These waves combine with the original wave to create a new wave that is redirected in a different direction.
There are two main types of reflection: specular reflection and diffuse reflection. Specular reflection is when light bounces off a smooth surface, such as a mirror, at a consistent angle. Diffuse reflection, on the other hand, occurs when light bounces off an uneven or rough surface, and the reflected light is scattered in different directions.
Reflection and refraction are both processes that involve light waves interacting with a surface. However, in reflection, the light waves are redirected back into the same medium, while in refraction, the light waves are bent as they pass through a different medium.
Reflection has many practical uses in everyday life. Some examples include mirrors, which use specular reflection to create an accurate reflection of an object, and headlights on a car, which use diffuse reflection to spread light in different directions for better visibility. Reflection is also used in photography, telescopes, and laser technology.