4
$\begingroup$

I've got an upside-down lampshade in my house on a post, and I noticed today that shadows were coming off the edge of it even at 6 inches from the bulb. Could someone explain the phenomena to me?

(I'm not at all Physics-oriented [lol I didn't do as I'd hoped on my high school physics final], so please try to give me some foundation before the explanation if possible)

Reference images: general picture of lampshade enter image description here

Improve this question
$\endgroup$

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
3
$\begingroup$

Looks like your lampshade is made of either glass or plastic, probably with frosted surface. If that is the case, just think about the geometry: light from the bulb reaches the edge at shallow angles, and more of its path would be in that frosted surface; it effectively becomes "thicker" and therefore allows less light to pass through, forming the shadow.

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
2
  • $\begingroup$ Cool, I'm trying to picture that in my head. I thought the shadow meant no light was getting through, however? Is the shade entirely blocking the light from going through it at a certain angle? $\endgroup$
    – takanuva15
    Commented Aug 6, 2017 at 18:02
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ @takanuva15 It does not block all light from passing through, nor does it need to. An area significantly dimmer than its surroundings will be perceived as a shadow. $\endgroup$
    – Carl Lei
    Commented Aug 7, 2017 at 1:53

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.