LightScattering

Light scattering is the way light behaves when it interacts with a medium that contains particles or the boundary between different mediums where defects or structures are present. It is different than the effects of refraction, where light undergoes a change in index of refraction as it passes from one medium to another, or reflection, where light reflects back into the same medium, both of which are governed by Snell’s law. Light scattering can be caused by factors such as the nature, texture, or specific structures of a surface and the presence of gas, liquid, or solid particles through which light propagates, as well as the nature of the light itself, of its wavelengths and polarization states. It usually results in diffuse light and can also affect the dispersion of color.