Trapping Light in a Plastic - St. Mary's Physics Online

[Mf484977]

Optical fibre \m/

[JagaimoKigurumi]

light is a wave.. this is why we have shadows.. so it[is possible for refraction and reflection.

[Nulono]

If it's total, why can we see it?

[robotdna]

@Nulono Tyndall Effect.

[tonymang2]

@Nulono Rays that reach the boundary at an angle greater than the critical are completed reflected, and rays that are less than the critical leave the glass and become visible to you.

[pl855p]

@Nulono in short the light needs to hit the tubing at an almost 90 degree angle to escape at any other angle it just bounces off

[pl855p]

@Nulono in short the light needs to hit the tubing at an almost 90 degree angle to escape at any other angle it just bounces off

[xNaza1993x]

This is how optic fiber works

[apocalypse5656]

what material did you use??

[Justin77126]

Bro What Is This ?

[MrPeeepe]

1:25 How cool! You can see how the beam is reflected thanks to refraction ;)

[MrVin247]

Like mortenrobinson said,"it looks like the light is traveling in all directions. Otherwise, how would you be able to capture it with the camera" (a very astute observation :) But the beam the laser produces looks like it is still traveling in straight lines through the plastic. It travels until it reaches a reflection point, is reflected, travels, reflected, etc. until it we see it exit the the other side, where the is pattern most likely continues until the beam has been dispersed. Nice vid!

[mortenrobinson]

To me it looks like the light is travelling in all directions. Otherwise, how would you be able to capture it with the camera ;) Lasers are kind of weird though. When pointing a laser at a wall, it seems that the light travel in an exact straight path, as if it was particles being shot out from the laser. But when it hits the wall it starts travelling in all directions, as if it was a wave... So what is it, particle or wave, or both???

[Coppernail67]

Ladies and gentlemen. Behold, a portion of the concept of fiber optics

[Rubdos]

Hehe, no total reflection :) We can see light escaping through the plastic :) Cool though!

[MarionPappilon]

Was it a plastic tube that you used for that? I want to try it myself!

[jorgevg123]

A bar of Silicone

[i6amokk]

It's not a big deal, but it is cool to see someone playing with optics.