2006-12-19 02:58:04 · 2 answers · asked by njgujugrl04 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Engineering
It is called total internal reflection. If the light touches the fibre surface at a shallow enough angle then it will bounce and stay inside the fibre and keep on bouncing inside as it travels along. The actual angle depends on the refractive index of the fibre and whatever is outside the fibre, like air.
2006-12-19 03:09:10 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Light wants ot go on the path of least resistance. Once it gets into an optical fiber, it will follow it untill it reaches the end. Some light escapes along the way, which is why optical fibers "glow". The brightest part is the end, however, where the light comes out the most. This is because the light is acting as a wave. If you created a wave of water, and made it go through a channel, it would follow the channel untill the end, with some of it spilling out.
2006-12-19 11:08:30 · answer #2 · answered by Weston 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋