Optical Phenomena

Understanding everyday optical phenomena and why we see what we see

Topics

How do mirrors create reflections?

Mirrors create reflections by having smooth, polished surfaces that bounce light back. When light hits a mirror, it reflects at the same angle it arrived (angle of incidence equals angle of reflection), creating clear, organized reflections that form images.

How do sunglasses work?

Sunglasses work by reducing the amount of light reaching your eyes through tinting (absorbing light) and often polarization (filtering specific light orientations). They protect eyes from bright light, reduce glare, and block harmful UV radiation.

Why do shadows form?

Shadows form because light travels in straight lines and cannot pass through opaque objects. When an object blocks light, it creates a dark region (shadow) where light cannot reach. The shadow's size and shape depend on the light source and object position.

Why do we see colors in soap bubbles?

We see colors in soap bubbles because of thin-film interference. Light reflects from both the front and back surfaces of the bubble film, and these reflections interfere. Different wavelengths interfere constructively or destructively at different film thicknesses, creating the colorful patterns we see.

Why do we see mirages?

We see mirages because hot air near the ground has different density than cooler air above, causing light to refract (bend). This creates the illusion of water or objects appearing where they don't exist, with the image often appearing inverted or distorted.