Help with Light Waves that Passes through matter

[mooeypoo]

Hi all,

 

I'm not really sure I am supposed to put the question in this forum, but right now it seemed like the best idea, so appologies if i'm wrong.

 

I need help with as much information available (including formulas and practicals) about the ways to predict the changes in an electro magnetic wave that passes through an object with a certain density.

 

On the other side of things, I want to see if the output i get after throwing electromagnetic beams through all kinds of materials, can actually tell me what kind of material it passed through. Obviously I am talkin about static objects. The problem of Doppler will be solved later.

 

 

I'd appreciate any information anyone would have..

 

thanks!

 

~mooeypoo

[NSX]

We studied the behaviour of light (a specific EMR) through different types of mediums this semester. Here's some stuff we learned:

 

Some practicals are:

 

- Light always bends towards the normal of a surface if refracted if the density of the second boundary is greater than the first

 

- Incoming light rays, depending on the angle it hits the surface can / will reflect and / or refract.

 

- Angle of incidence = angle of refl'n

 

Formulas:

 

- Snell's Law: (sin:lctheta:1) (v2) = (sin:lctheta:2) (v1), :lctheta:1 is angle of incidence, :lctheta:2 is angle of refl'n, v1 is initial speed of light ray in medium 1, v2...

 

- Another form of Snell's Law: (n1)(sin:lctheta:1) = (n2)(sin:lctheta:), n1 and n2 are the indexes of refraction

 

- Some more Snell's Law: (n1)(:lclambda:1) = (n2)(:lclambda:2)

 

- the index of refraction for any medium is def'd as: n = c / v; c => speed of light in vacuum, v => speed of light in medium

 

Reference: Physics For Scientists and Engineers 5th Ed. - Student Solutions Manual & Study Guide. Serway, Beichner. Ch. 35. p. 270--272

 

I'm not sure if that's what you're looking for, but I hope it helps somehow.

 

I'm also not sure if I referenced right, but I was too lazy to check the SF guidelines. If it's not right, someone PM or correct it please.

 

[sidenote] note to blike, or fafalone, or whoever else takes care of SF ; when i clicked on the theta and lambda, it got a message like this: The page you requested does not exist on this server (/forums/java%20script:opener.smilie(':lctheta:')). 404 ; but when i copy & paste the code, it works. ie. :lambda: or whatever it was. Is it a gecko only thing? I'm using Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.5) Gecko/20031007 Firebird/0.7[/sidenote]

[Neurocomp2003]

yay for Serway, researcher's gift to undergrads

[mooeypoo]

Thanks!!

 

In addition can anyone please tell me where I can get a table of matter densities (to use with Snell law and different kinds of wave frequencies) ?

 

Thanks a lot again

[NSX]

mooeypoo said in post #4 :

Thanks!!

 

In addition can anyone please tell me where I can get a table of matter densities (to use with Snell law and different kinds of wave frequencies) ?

 

Thanks a lot again

 

Just look up on any search engine index of refraction.

 

In fact, here's one i just googled:

 

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/geoopt/refr.html

 

Neurocomp2003 said in post #3 :

yay for Serway, researcher's gift to undergrads

 

lol

My Physics prof. did say the Serway was good, and he still uses it (the one from his undergrad!)

 

You've used this book before?