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A

Anonymous

Nov 11, 2024

CAN YOU PLEASE HELP?! how light interacts with matter?

Could you please help me with a question about how light interacts with matter? Below are various physical situations that describe these interactions. I would appreciate it if you could match each situation to the appropriate category: transmission, absorption, reflection, scattering, or emission.

1) White light hits a white piece of paper.
2) Visible light does not pass through a black wall.
3) Visible light meets clear glass.
4) Light comes from a light bulb.
5) Blue light hits a red sweatshirt.
6) Cell phone signals pass through walls.
7) Light comes from your computer screen.
8) Red light hits a red sweatshirt.

Thank you so much! I am feeling quite stuck on this.

6 Answers

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Anonymous

Jan 07, 2025

1) white light hits a white piece of paper

8) red light hits a red sweatshirt

Scattering (random) or Reflecting (in organized direction) = when the light is bounced back

2) visible light does not pass through a black wall

5) blue light hits a red sweatshirt

Absorption = when light is absorbed and not bounced back

3) visible light meets clear glass

6) cell phone signals pass through walls

Transmission = whenever light goes through something

4) light comes from a light bulb

7) light comes from your computer screen

I don’t know what to do with these from your list — these are in fact emitting light; they cerrtainly aren’t absorbing, but if they mean that the light goes through the glass of the light bulb or the pane of the screen, that could be transmission; or it could be scattering.

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Anonymous

Dec 12, 2024

Don’t take my answers as gospel.

1. Scattering

2. Absorption

3. Transmission

4. Emission

5. Absorption

6. Transmission

7. Emission

8. Scattering

A
Anonymous

Jan 18, 2025

Air is not as dense as a table or a phone. Particles of the air are far apart from each other than the particles of a table or a phone. Particles of air are very very small so the reflection is not perceivable. If air contains bigger particles say dust particles these are big enough to reflect light that can be seen by our eyes. I don’t think electromagnetism has anything to do with the phenomenon.

A
Anonymous

Jan 03, 2025

I think Kurt’s got it.

4 and 7 are scattering emission.

A
Anonymous

Feb 11, 2025

Doesn’t anyone do their own homework anymore???

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