I could be way off base with my original assumption, but if light is shined in space it travels straight forward indefinitely (in theory). But if it is shined on something, it illuminates that object then goes away. So what happens to the light particles/energy. I hope this makes sense, I am struggling to find the words for my question.
Just wanted to throw in an edit and say thank you for the responses. It was very informative and I greatly appreciate that!
In: 10
It either gets absorbed, reflected, or refracted.
If it gets absorbed, the energy is imparted to an atom or molecule in the material, and it usually gets released as heat, but it can also break down molecules in the material.
If it gets reflected, it can either be a perfect reflection (like a mirror) or it can be scattered (like every other object). Ie, green objects reflect frequencies of light that our eyes perceive as green.
If it gets refracted, it passes through the material and gets bent due to changing speed. This is why a straw in a glass of water looks bent. The electric fields of the surrounding atoms simply slow down the propagation of light. The index of refraction is the factor of how much it’s slowed down and snell’s law tells us how much it gets bent.
Latest Answers