[Physics] What happens to photons after they hit objects

particle-physicsphotonsthermal-radiationvisible-light

If I am not wrong when light hits for example white wall most of the photons are absorbed and transformed into heat and few of the photons at certain wavelength are reflected from the object. So white wall reflects photons at wavelength corresponding to white color so we can see it.

1.Can someone clarify if it is correct?

2.What happens if that photons reflected from white wall hit another white wall (are they reflected once? If that so can they be reflected forever?)

3.What happens when I "shoot" photons of certain wavelength into object which color corresponds to that photons wavelength e.g. Blue light into blue wall

Best Answer

It's not necessarily true that most of the photons that strike a wall will be absorbed and turned into heat. The whitest white paints can have a light reflectance value of up to about 85%.

There isn't a "wavelength corresponding to white color". An ideal white surface reflects as much as possible of all wavelengths in the visible spectrum. That sounds like a mirror, but the difference is that a mirror reflects light according to the "the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection" rule, whereas a white wall or other white surface exhibits diffuse reflection, which means that it reflects light in all different directions.

A photon reflected from a white wall can certainly be reflected from another white wall. However, the reflection can’t occur forever, because no real wall can reflect 100% of the light shone on it.

If a wall is blue, that means that it reflects blue photons well, and doesn't reflect as many photons of colors that aren't blue.