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   j_bertolotti (j_bertolotti@mathstodon.xyz)'s status on Wednesday, 15-Jan-2025 17:53:54 JST j_bertolotti

   #PhysicsFactlet
   Light propagates in a straight line (actually it is more complicated than that, but this is good enough for us here) and we see only the light that comes to our eyes. As a result you usually don't see the light going from its source to the objects it illuminates.
   Unless it is misty, in which case light can scatter on the water droplets and you can "see" the light's path ("Tyndall effect").

   #Physics #Optics #EverydayPhysics

   • Embed this notice
     Paul Sutton (zleap@qoto.org)'s status on Wednesday, 15-Jan-2025 17:55:57 JST Paul Sutton

     in reply to

     @j_bertolotti

     This really illustrates the inverse square law too, as you can see the light intensity decreasing the further away from the soure you get. As in the light level spreads out.

     IIRC the light intensity is the inverse square of the distance.

     3x distance 1/9 brightness etc

     I stand to be corrected however as I may be over complicating things.

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     j_bertolotti (j_bertolotti@mathstodon.xyz)'s status on Wednesday, 15-Jan-2025 18:07:15 JST j_bertolotti

     in reply to

     • Paul Sutton

     @zleap Due to the scattering there is an exponential overlayed on top of it (Lambert-Beer law), so not a clean "inverse square law" example 😉

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     Paul Sutton (zleap@qoto.org)'s status on Wednesday, 15-Jan-2025 18:08:47 JST Paul Sutton

     in reply to

     @j_bertolotti

     Thanks, not heard of theLambert-Beer law I will read up on this, in the meantime

     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer%E2%80%93Lambert_law

     for anyone else curious.