do mirrors multiply total lumens? physics broken

TeaTreeOil

TeaTreeOil

Well-Known Member
mrmz88 said:
like say i have a 5000lumen generating bulb. if i use a mirror to reflect 100% of its light then i am effectively doubling the brightness in the room because the reflection gives off light also. maybe not 100% but even if its just 1% then havent i broken a law of thermodynamics that i cant produce more energy than is put in? cus the reflection created by a mirror is like a clone of the light that requires no energy to produce.... couldnt one use a mirror facing a nother mirror with a light in the middle and produce infinite reflections and infinite lumens and with solar power produce infinite electricity?

whats the number to the nobel prize committee?
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You can't use a mirror to reflect 100% of the light. You'd need one crazily shaped mirror to achieve anything near this. Also, mirrors do not exist that are truly 100% reflective.

But, you can reflect around half or even more. Energy in minus absorption and transmission, plus emissivity will leave you with the energy out for a specific wavelength.

The mirror's reflection does require energy. Photons are bounced off the surface in a highly specular manner which produces the mirror-reflection. There is a negligible amount of energy lost in the process. A typical aluminum mirror (glass coated) is likely over 90% reflective. The glass makes a very small difference.

Light bulbs are made with glass, hello Einsteins? :lol:

Most clear glass is well over 90% transmissive.

Anyway, when you do use a specular reflector properly the improvement to light intensity is significant. Two times(or more) is possible to hit, but most reflectors do not focus (intensifying) light as much as they tend to distribute it over a certain field as evenly as possible(good reflector).

If you get a quality reflector very near to the bulb, like hoods, then it's getting very close to 2x brightness.

Light intensity is determined from measuring the density of photons, or the photon flux.

For example, see attachment(a 3 frame gif image), you have a room illuminated by a bulb(frame 1).
The right half of the room's photon flux is reflected back onto the left side(frame 2). Then a comparison between reflected and not(frame 3).


Not, it's not physically accurate. It's Photoshop, it's close enough. :lol:

Also, no, with each reflection there is a very small amount of light lost. And nothing is ever created. Infinity does not exist, it's an idea.
 

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snowcap099

Active Member
themistocles said:
Wow, that is an interesting thought until you brake it down. Although I really like your way of thinking it won't really work that way.
First you need to know some definitions
1) Lumens : measure of perceived
2) Radiant flux : measure of total emitted light

As far as getting continuous energy goes that isn't going to happen. If you did bounce light back and forth of of mirrors once it hit the solar panel the light energy is then collected and it wouldn't bounce around anymore. Ending the perpetual cycle. And don't forget your using electricity constantly to make the light.

And for multiplication purposes; as light travels its intensity is lost the farther it travels away from the source. The more distance that is put in between the source and the receiver (solar panel, or plant) the less intense the light will be. So while putting up mylar or mirrors does reflect the light adding to the lumens, 100% of the light isn't reflected back. Some light energy is absorbed and lost to heat, some will reflect or refract in another direction.

The true use of mirrors and light:
To get the most out of your light, you want to contain the emitting light and all the radiated lumens in one direction. Any light that escapes the initial reflector in any other direction (like a wall or the floor) is basically lost energy. By putting up mirrors or mylar you reflect that light (the lost energy) in the direction where it can be used (plant, solar panel). This doesn't really multiply your light it more like adds. But the relfected light will be no where near as intense as it was when it was originaly emmitted. It will also be less intense than the light that just goes from light bulb to collector, rather than light bulb, reflector then collector.

Basically the farther light travels the more energy it looses. (distance not displacement)
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Good Post..
 
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mrmz88

Active Member
well im just growing 1 plant in a closet and it has white walls so that should be fine. 1 ounce would keep me high constantly for a month but cus im joining the military soon and such i smoke maybe 2grams a week once a week so even if i only get an ounce im happy. (cus around here 1 gram of shwag from the most podunk ghetto is still 20$-40$ US
 
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DusterKing

New Member
mrmz88 said:
like say i have a 5000lumen generating bulb. if i use a mirror to reflect 100% of its light then i am effectively doubling the brightness in the room because the reflection gives off light also. maybe not 100% but even if its just 1% then havent i broken a law of thermodynamics that i cant produce more energy than is put in? cus the reflection created by a mirror is like a clone of the light that requires no energy to produce.... couldnt one use a mirror facing a nother mirror with a light in the middle and produce infinite reflections and infinite lumens and with solar power produce infinite electricity?

whats the number to the nobel prize committee?
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Putting mirrors , Ten foil, white paint, Will help With growing your plants better. It won't increase your lumens but it will bounce the Photons Off of the reflective surfaces to get to other areas of the plant and distributed better as well as taking wasted light and reflecting it back so you get more light for your plant's. Don't listen to these ignorant assholes on here Use your mirrors and your plants you'll get a better yield. After that you could laugh at them all will their plants are skinny and weak and yours is big and beautiful.
 
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DusterKing

New Member
darkdestruction420 said:
mirrors eat light.......why stray away from good ol mylar?
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Where did you learn any physics or logic lol. Mirrors reflect photons back. That's why the Egyptians had mirrors set up To reflect the Sun's light in dark areas so it would light up. If it did not reflectlight, then you would not see anything in them. It does not increase your Luminz of light But it reflects The photons (Back) at the plant so they are not wasted. It Works a lot like how people prune their plants. It just introduces more of the light to the plant instead of being wasted and being covered by other plants or other Foliage. It's a neat way of getting light deep into it without having to prune so much.
 
bk78

bk78

Well-Known Member
DusterKing said:
Putting mirrors , Ten foil, white paint, Will help With growing your plants better. It won't increase your lumens but it will bounce the Photons Off of the reflective surfaces to get to other areas of the plant and distributed better as well as taking wasted light and reflecting it back so you get more light for your plant's. Don't listen to these ignorant assholes on here Use your mirrors and your plants you'll get a better yield. After that you could laugh at them all will their plants are skinny and weak and yours is big and beautiful.
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I don’t think he will see your quote since he hasn’t been active for a dozen years
 
bk78

bk78

Well-Known Member
DusterKing said:
Where did you learn any physics or logic lol. Mirrors reflect photons back. That's why the Egyptians had mirrors set up To reflect the Sun's light in dark areas so it would light up. If it did not reflectlight, then you would not see anything in them. It does not increase your Luminz of light But it reflects The photons (Back) at the plant so they are not wasted. It Works a lot like how people prune their plants. It just introduces more of the light to the plant instead of being wasted and being covered by other plants or other Foliage. It's a neat way of getting light deep into it without having to prune so much.
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Yeah

this dude hadn’t been active for a dozen years either

you the new daily master grower to start out the week?
 
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