RDKirk wrote: And if you are in doubt I would again invite you to think about the fact that the only way you can see a point on an object form multiple directions is if it reflects light in multiple directions. If I look at an object from straight on, and then shift to the left and look at it again from the left, it brightness seems identical to me. This is because it is reflecting light uniformly in different directions. Otherwise it should looking darker to me as I shift to a side.
It does change brightness as you shift to the side, it is not reflecting light uniformly in different directions. Notice the phases of the moon. For that matter, move your reflected light meter 180 degrees around a subject. It\'s not reflecting light uniformly in all directions.
You are mistaking what I said. I am saying that if you look at the \"same spot\" on the subject from different directions then that spot seems identically bright from different directions. The phases of moon are indicating that \"different parts\" of the moon are reflecting differing amounts of light, which is a totally different issue. If you look at a part of the moon which is bright, then whether you look at it from the left of the moon or right, it will appear identically bright because that bright spot is sending out light rays in all directions.
You can do this experiment yourself. Go out in an open field on a sunny day. Put a cardboard box on the ground. Now move around the box and look at the top surface of the box from different directions. I hope you will agree that the top of the box will appear identically bright from all sides (of course assuming you don\'t cast your shadow on it in the process ). Now can you please tell me how can you watch the box top from various sides if it is not reflecting light in all directions. And also that how can it be not reflecting light fairly uniformly if it is appearing identically bright from all sides?
Nov 06, 2012 at 02:22 PM
Previous versions of curious80's message #11096862 « silly inverse square law question. »
). Now can you please tell me how can you watch the box top from various sides if it is not reflecting light in all directions. And also that how can it be not reflecting light fairly uniformly if it is appearing identically bright from all sides?