Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Will a lightbulb work in a completely black room?

Options
13

Comments

  • Options
    #62
    oppenheimer1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,084 ✭✭✭oppenheimer1


    westendgirlie wrote: »
    I just took a muscle relaxant.

    Poppers?


  • Options
    #63
    osnola ibax
    Registered Users Posts: 2,191 ✭✭✭osnola ibax


    Destiny Sweet Nunnery wrote: »
    ehh... is there anyone cleverer here?

    This is the lad I was talking about.

    http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scanning_tunneling_microscope


  • Options
    #64
    Logical Fallacy
    Registered Users Posts: 5,933 ✭✭✭Logical Fallacy


    Destiny Sweet Nunnery wrote: »
    Random thing : It is a cool question in fairness which led me to my question is anything ever smooth?
    A completely matt surface should reflect nothing - and that got me thinkinh to something that, I think, was in the hitchhikers guide to the glalaxy where someone couldn't feel a spaceship cos it was completely smooth and there was no friction in rubbing it?

    Friction is just one facet of the sense of touch, if you can apply or feel pressure from something you can feel it.


  • Options
    #65
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 90,745 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    Red Hand wrote: »
    Been reading Flann O Brien again, Captain Midnight?:P
    someday I'll get to read the Third policeman.


  • Options
    #66
    Thrill
    Registered Users Posts: 5,485 ✭✭✭Thrill


    http://images.sciencedaily.com/2008/01/080122154610-large.jpg

    The new darkest manmade material, with its 0.045 percent reflectance (center), is noticeably darker than the 1.4 percent NIST reflectance standard (left) and a piece of glassy carbon (right). (2008)
    The material, a thin coating comprised of low-density arrays of loosely vertically-aligned carbon nanotubes, absorbs more than 99.9 percent of light and one day could be used to boost the effectiveness and efficiency of solar energy conversion, infrared sensors, and other devices.
    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080122154610.htm


    A room made of this stuff would probably be the closest you could come to finding out.

    The experience would be weird. Imagine being in the room with just a torch, (no light bulb on the ceiling) shining it in all directions and seeing nothing.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #67
    Red Hand
    Registered Users Posts: 4,986 ✭✭✭Red Hand


    Logical Fallacy wrote: »
    Friction is just one facet of the sense of touch, if you can apply or feel pressure from something you can feel it.

    That depends on whether you separate out pressure sensing and touching into separate senses. You can feel pressure without touching being involved. Likewise, heat sensing and touch...related but a case can be made for separating them.


  • Options
    #68
    epgc3fyqirnbsx
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,228 ✭✭✭epgc3fyqirnbsx


    Logical Fallacy wrote: »
    Friction is just one facet of the sense of touch, if you can apply or feel pressure from something you can feel it.

    yeah thats what i was thinking but it sounded cool when i read it


  • Options
    #69
    4leto
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,940 ✭✭✭4leto


    Capt'n Midnight wrote: »
    For years it has been believed that electric bulbs emitted light. However, more recent information has proven otherwise. Electric bulbs don't emit light, they suck dark. Thus we call these bulbs dark suckers. The dark sucker theory proves the existence of dark, that dark has mass heavier than that of light, and that dark is faster than light.

    Everytime I turn on those ecco bulbs the room definitely gets darker.


  • Options
    #70
    zuroph
    Registered Users Posts: 11,097 ✭✭✭✭zuroph


    to simulate, could we stick a load of white paper over lens of torch so that it barely glows but doesnt illuminate anything other than itself, and stand in a pitch dark room?


  • Options
    #71
    Plazaman
    Registered Users Posts: 3,012 ✭✭✭Plazaman


    Theres your problem. Is it painted Black or Very Very Very Very Very Dark Blue? There's a difference.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #72
    bodhrandude
    Registered Users Posts: 12,394 ✭✭✭✭bodhrandude


    Ah but can you see a black light or a black density maker in a white room, that would be interesting, imagine black lasers.

    If you want to get into it, you got to get out of it. (Hawkwind 1982)



  • Options
    #73
    mikom
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,391 ✭✭✭✭mikom


    puffin24 wrote: »
    Will a lightbulb work in a completely black room?

    If it's white, then yes.


  • Options
    #74
    revell
    Registered Users Posts: 221 ✭✭revell


    OP, I see your point. In a room painted with pure white, you actually do not need a light bulb turned on to see the wall.;)


  • Options
    #75
    johnam
    Registered Users Posts: 210 ✭✭johnam


    bodhrandude wrote: »
    Ah but can you see a black light or a back density maker in a white room, that would be interesting, imagine black lasers.

    beat me to it, was reading all the posts thinking, "what if the bulb was a black light?" and then got to your post and ...well...I wanted to ask that:mad:

    :)


  • Options
    #76
    nice_very
    Registered Users Posts: 1,723 ✭✭✭nice_very


    black is actually the absence of light, therefore switching on a light in a totally black room would lead to a major paradox in the time/space continuam, and possibly the end of the universe*



    *not yet proven, just a theory


  • Options
    #77
    AlmightyCushion
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 35,046 Mod ✭✭✭✭AlmightyCushion


    minidazzler wrote: »
    How black is black?

    The answer is none. None more black.


  • Options
    #78
    Logical Fallacy
    Registered Users Posts: 5,933 ✭✭✭Logical Fallacy


    Red Hand wrote: »
    That depends on whether you separate out pressure sensing and touching into separate senses. You can feel pressure without touching being involved. Likewise, heat sensing and touch...related but a case can be made for separating them.

    Not really, i wouldn't draw too much of a line between something you feel by radiation and something you feel by convection.

    Not too sure what you mean about feeling pressure without touching being involved. There is always contact between the human body and the world, we spend all day walking around in a fluid after all.
    Destiny Sweet Nunnery wrote: »
    yeah thats what i was thinking but it sounded cool when i read it

    The joy of Douglas Adams is he knew enough about science to leave out things that would kill the humour.


  • Options
    #79
    Noo
    Registered Users Posts: 1,986 ✭✭✭Noo


    I'd imagine it'd be like that scene in finding nemo where the big ugly fish dangles its light antenna thingy and it floats around in the blackness. The only things that would be seen would be the bulb and yourself in the room. Heres a reminder...

    The floaty light thingy is the light bulb and the ugly fish is you.


    http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/pixar/images/4/49/Anglerfish.jpg


  • Options
    #80
    Logical Fallacy
    Registered Users Posts: 5,933 ✭✭✭Logical Fallacy


    Noo wrote: »
    I'd imagine it'd be like that scene in finding nemo where the big ugly fish dangles its light antenna thingy and it floats around in the blackness. The only things that would be seen would be the bulb and yourself in the room. Heres a reminder...

    Not really, as the surfaces of the walls, ceiling, floor and objects within the room would be at different angles and have different surfaces you'd be able to see them. It might be slightly difficult to make out shapes but that's about it.

    Black surfaces still reflect light...if they didn't they would be invisible.


  • Options
    #81
    Noo
    Registered Users Posts: 1,986 ✭✭✭Noo


    Logical Fallacy wrote: »
    Not really, as the surfaces of the walls, ceiling, floor and objects within the room would be at different angles and have different surfaces you'd be able to see them. It might be slightly difficult to make out shapes but that's about it.

    Black surfaces still reflect light...if they didn't they would be invisible.

    Depends how big the room is and how bright the light is


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #82
    Logical Fallacy
    Registered Users Posts: 5,933 ✭✭✭Logical Fallacy


    Noo wrote: »
    Depends how big the room is and how bright the light is

    Well that roughly applies to any room of any color.

    I guess it also depends entirely on the placement of the light and the method of suspension.

    I reckon talking about this concept without the stipulation that the light is obviously strong enough to illuminate the room adequately were it not painted black is pointless though. If the room is black but the room is too big and the light is too weak to offer proper illumination then it's just a loaded experimental concept.


  • Options
    #83
    ballsymchugh
    Registered Users Posts: 7,936 ✭✭✭ballsymchugh


    paint the light bulb black, then turn it on. the room will get darker again. ;)


  • Options
    #84
    CrazyRabbit
    Registered Users Posts: 8,659 ✭✭✭CrazyRabbit


    Crown or Dulux paint? Brushed or rolled on? I need variables god dammit!!


  • Options
    #85
    Jimoslimos
    Registered Users Posts: 4,930 ✭✭✭Jimoslimos


    The sun works reasonably well in a fairly dark space

    I see the OPs question though, in a completely dark room, where the walls reflect 0% of the light then you should only see the bulb.


  • Options
    #86
    Logical Fallacy
    Registered Users Posts: 5,933 ✭✭✭Logical Fallacy


    Jimoslimos wrote: »
    The sun works reasonably well in a fairly dark space

    I see the OPs question though, in a completely dark room, where the walls reflect 0% of the light then you should only see the bulb.

    I don't think there is any material that reflects 0% of light.

    I think the lowest is about 0.1% and it looks kind of blue.


  • Options
    #87
    Jimoslimos
    Registered Users Posts: 4,930 ✭✭✭Jimoslimos


    Logical Fallacy wrote: »
    I don't think there is any material that reflects 0% of light.

    I think the lowest is about 0.1% and it looks kind of blue.
    Is that enough for human vision to distinguish?

    Edit: I'm an idiot - of course if it looks blue in colour humans can 'see' it


  • Options
    #88
    Chuck Stone
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,030 ✭✭✭✭Chuck Stone


    Apparently chocolate sponge cake is the most light absorbent substance in the known universe.


  • Options
    #89
    Noo
    Registered Users Posts: 1,986 ✭✭✭Noo


    Chuck Stone wrote: »
    Apparently chocolate sponge cake is the most light absorbent substance in the known universe.

    We must build this chocolate sponge cake room of yours to test this bulb theory.

    I'll bring the tea.


  • Options
    #90
    gbee
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,388 ✭✭✭gbee


    A light bulb will work if applied with the appropriate amount and rate of flowing electrons, electricity to you and me, it will illuminate, even if you forget to switch off, your electricity supplier will bill you, so, yes.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #91
    vampire of kilmainham
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,048 ✭✭✭vampire of kilmainham


    puffin24 wrote: »
    As title suggests. Cant find anything on google. If a room was totally painted black with no light coming in and nothing else in it what would it look like if you turned a light on?
    bright of course. a light bulb will brighten up the darkest of rooms you might just need a higher wattage bulb if the room is as you describe


Advertisement