Where does the light go ?

Question

If you place a torch (flashlight, bulb-battery) on a mirror, so the beam is reflected straight back to the bulb, with no gaps between the two where the light can get out, where does the light go (without turning the torch off) ?

Answer 1

Surely gherkins are much cheaper!!,

Answer 2

Because your flashlight has a mirror reflector in it light reflected back onto it is again re-radiated but at a slightlly lower intensity caused by the imperfect nature of the mirrors.

Light itself is a form of electromagnetic radiation the follows the inverse square law of diminishing strength which is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source. Even if this is just a few centimeters, after a couple thousand bounces back and forth the light will have traveled a considerable distance, and at the speed of light. (299,792,458 metres per second)

With the source reflecting back upon itself and out again the process will continue untill the the light strength is zero. Because all this happens at the "speed of light" it is not possible for you to actually observe this phonomen without special equipment.

Many times such scientific problems are theorized as taking place with "perfect" environments. Such "perfect" environments may consider light sources and mirrors to be perfect reflectors and emitters, then the study is considerd to be taking place in a vaccum as well. The real world has lots of "stuff" in it that makes things much less than perfect.

Answer 3

The light is absorbed by the mirror surface (and lost as heat) as it is not a perfect reflector, but maybe only 95% efficient. That loss - given the frequency the light will be losing strength every time it hits a surface appears to an outside observer an instantaneous.
If a theoretical mirror was used at 100% efficiency, in a perfect vacuum, then the light would remain reflecting forever.

Answer 4

If all the light was reflected back to the bulb - you wouldn't be able to see it. Because no light would disperse and be visible with your eyes. But it does disperse and you can see it. So that's where it goes - it disperses - bounces around and gets absorbed by non-reflective surfaces. If it did reflect backwards and forwards and then escape in a straight line - you would have a laser. You can get laser pointers cheap to play with and experiment with now. I think I saw one at Maplin on offer. But don't point them at your eyes. Or anyone Else's!!! Especially mine!!!!!

Answer 5

the light gets reflected off of the surface of the mirror and back into the torch where I would imagine the light would be reabsorbed and the energy given off as heat. If you took the torch off the mirror after holding it there a while, it would feel hot.

Answer 6

The light will go as far as it can: throw a ball between two walls a how far will the ball go? Just to the wall then back to the other. The energy of the thrown ball will soon be lost, the energy of the battery will last longer but the result is the same: ball goes nowhere, light goes nowhere.

Answer 7

It does go anywhere. The light is just continually reflected back and forth. Even if no visible light leaks out energy is still lost as other types of radiation. example: heat

Answer 8

the light is still there if u move ur hand slowly backwards u will be able to see the light .. the reason is that when u had the flash light up towards the mirror no light waves were able to escape and reflect on ur eyes so u weren't able to see them

Answer 9

Its absorbed by the material of the flash light and certain unabsorbed wavelengths are emitted, this being the color of the flash lights material.

Answer 10

#1 Powerful Tactical Flashlight - http://FlashLight.uzaev.com/?XLIS

Answer 11

light is indipendent and it can go to a infinate distance depending upon the source of light