2007-12-29 02:19:57 · 9 answers · asked by airaaa 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
A shadow is not matter at all. It is the pattern formed when light is blocked by an object and perhipheral light to the sides of the object strikes the surface. Thus, it is an optical phenomenon.
The shadow represents a zone where photons (light waves) emanating from a source are blocked by impeding matter.
So - when you wave at your shadow on a summers day you are impeding the direct flow of photons from the sun from impacting on the ground in the zone of your shadow.
Matter is not part of the shadow.
Great question, and...
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Science is the greatest hope for the future of America and humanity. America has sadly lost its competitiveness in science, we have become fat, stupid and lazy preferring the simplicity of a revival tent to the discipline of academic study and open, sometimes answerless, inquiry. This great nation, which pulled off the Manhattan project, Apollo program (going to the moon - sadly you probably haven't learned about this), and the semiconductor revolution is now devoid of native intellectual talent and is falling behind countries like China and India - once 3rd world nations, soon to be our masters. In part, our demise as a world power has been hastened by the election of ignorant religious zealots such as George W. Bush who is anti-science. He is the worst President in modern American history and a monumental failure.
2007-12-29 02:32:30 · answer #1 · answered by Bryan 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
a shadow is not matter, it is just a variation on the electromagnetic scale. It is caused by an object blocking out the light from a light source, and the shadow appears behind it. EM waves do exhibit some properties of a particle, which could make it matter, but right now a shadow if not considered made up of any matter.
2007-12-29 10:23:40 · answer #2 · answered by Give Peace A Chance 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
a shadow is not matter - it is simply an area in which something has obstructed a light source.
Light is a bit more complicated because it falls in the wave-particle duality discussion. At some points it acts like a wave (e.g. sound which isn't "matter") and at times like a particle (e.g. light can be bent by strong gravity fields - see theory of relativity). Absence of light however doesn't fit here because the wave-particle doesn't get to the "shadow".
2007-12-29 10:33:47 · answer #3 · answered by Say_What? 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A shadow is absence of light. This is like asking what form of matter is a vacuum.
2007-12-29 10:22:43 · answer #4 · answered by Mike1942f 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
A shadow isn't a form of matter...is it?
2007-12-29 10:22:57 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Simply, an absence of light.
2007-12-29 19:00:43 · answer #6 · answered by deleting profile 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i would say entropy (absence of energy) givin light is energy and it is in a sense the absence of light, in a sense, otherwise it is an illusion..
2007-12-29 10:23:24 · answer #7 · answered by Brian 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
absence of light. absence of photons. not a matter in itself...
2007-12-29 10:22:16 · answer #8 · answered by dragon_saver8 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
shadow???
2007-12-29 10:21:42 · answer #9 · answered by sugar m 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋