fényszóródási

Fényszóródási, often translated as light scattering, refers to the phenomenon where light rays deviate from a straight path due to interactions with particles or irregularities in a medium. This deviation can occur in various ways, including reflection, refraction, and diffraction. When light encounters particles that are significantly larger than its wavelength, it tends to scatter in all directions, a process known as Mie scattering. This is responsible for the white appearance of clouds and fog, as water droplets scatter all wavelengths of visible light equally.

Rayleigh scattering occurs when light interacts with particles much smaller than its wavelength, such as molecules in the Earth's atmosphere. This type of scattering is more pronounced for shorter wavelengths of light, explaining why the sky appears blue. Sunlight, composed of all colors, enters the atmosphere, and the blue wavelengths are scattered more effectively by the nitrogen and oxygen molecules. When the sun is low on the horizon, during sunrise or sunset, the light travels through a greater thickness of atmosphere, scattering away most of the blue light and leaving the longer red and orange wavelengths to reach our eyes, resulting in colorful sunsets.

Another aspect of fényszóródási is diffraction, which is the bending of light waves as they pass through narrow openings or around obstacles. This phenomenon is responsible for the iridescent colors seen in soap bubbles or on oil slicks. The scattering of light is a fundamental optical process with applications in various fields, including atmospheric science, microscopy, and the development of new materials.