experiment with halogen bulb in acrylic coloured water



2021

materials:
  • halogen bulb
  • grey acrylic colour
  • water
  • plastic cup
  • cables
  • electricity

phenomena:
  • acrylic colour blocking light (expected)
  • thermal convection (expected)
  • conduction of light by total internal reflection inside medium of higher refractive index relative to the surrounding medium (unexpected)



One evening, on the verge of falling asleep, the picture of a halogen bulb submerged in an opaque fluid crossed my mind.

Intrigued, I set out to observe the impact of the light bulb on the water in this arrangement, where light would be withheld. I anticipated witnessing thermal convection and perhaps sporadic bubbles surfacing, revealing glimpses of escaping light.

To my surprise, the actual experiment unveiled a more captivating phenomenon: the conduction of light through total internal reflection.

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