reflectivity paradox

[harmonicminor]

ok heres something to think about
take a hand mirror and take something painted flat white and go outside in the sun and see if the flat white thing reflects more light than the mirror
I havent tried it yet but im willing to bet the mirror reflects more light and can reflect it much farther. the reason you can see yourself in a mirror in the first place is because it reflects light so well. I can garantee if you compare your reflection with a mirror vs. mylar that you can see yourself much better in a mirror. if a mirror sucked in so much light you wouldnt be able to see yourself in it. kinda like a black hole that sucks in light. you just wont be able to see it because it sucks in all light.
maybe I will try some side by side experiments.
plus another thing I noticed is that with mylar is that it reflects hot spots where the flat white wont so that to me kinda makes mylar like a cross between aluminum foil and a mirror.

harmonicminor Reviewed by harmonicminor on 06-19-2005. reflectivity paradox ok heres something to think about take a hand mirror and take something painted flat white and go outside in the sun and see if the flat white thing reflects more light than the mirror I havent tried it yet but im willing to bet the mirror reflects more light and can reflect it much farther. the reason you can see yourself in a mirror in the first place is because it reflects light so well. I can garantee if you compare your reflection with a mirror vs. mylar that you can Rating: 5

[stickygreenlightsabr]

Where's the paradox? The mirror WILL reflect more light

[HARDDON]

No the mirror WILL NOT reflect 'more light'.

It will reflect more focused and less diffussed light.

That is what the atmosphere we have does for us, otherwise, we would all be burned up fuckers smoldering and smelling of cooking flesh all the time.

The mirror reflection is too focused for growing plants. Reflecting light from a mirror is beamed right back at the same angle or degree of pattern, thus only a small focal point is reflected.

A mylar or white background will indeed reflect the same light over a much broader, more diffused area. Better for plants.

When filming video or photography, no one uses mirrors for light...too focused and too many shadows...if the surface isn;t hit with the main refelction beam, it gets NO light...again, like the astronauts in space....

The gloves they wear.....on the side facing the sun.....the temps will reach 280 F...while the same glove, on the other side in the shadows, will reach temps of -280 F.

Mylar and white act as broad spectrum diffusers, thus in reality giving off far more light over a much shorter distance.

HAPPY LIGHTING

[harmonicminor]

yes you are right hardon but......... I have read many places online about mirrors sucking in light and therefore they are wrong. they should be corrected lol.
I have rubeed on mylar with rough hands and made little scratches all over it to diffuse the light better and that seemed to work ok.
hey how about a convex mirror?

[HARDDON]

Sorry harmonic....

mirrors of any and all sorts simply do not work well for diffusing light.

As for the convex, that would work great if your were the Hubble Telescope. But not for weed.

Even some of the popular parabolic reflectors being sold with light kits are trash.

Go to Wal Mart and buy some of that thick white poster board.

It will work wonders in place of mirrors.

HAPPY POSTER BOARD SHOPPING

[stickygreenlightsabr]

Yes, the mirror WILL reflect more light. I'm not talking about diffused or focused, just LIGHT as in photons. Re-read the original post. If that wasn't the case, then telescopes would use something else.

Also, telescope mirrors are concave, not convex.

[HARDDON]

Yes, the mirror WILL reflect more light. I'm not talking about diffused or focused, just LIGHT as in photons. Re-read the original post. If that wasn't the case, then telescopes would use something else.

Also, telescope mirrors are concave, not convex.

I re-read the original post and the post as inquiring about using mirrors for growing plants versus mylar or white color.

As I said, a mirror will reflect More Light but in a direct and undiffused manner.

This wont work for enhancing plant growth.

End of story.

[Beeblebrox.420]

Yes, the mirror WILL reflect more light. I'm not talking about diffused or focused, just LIGHT as in photons. Re-read the original post. If that wasn't the case, then telescopes would use something else.

Incorrect; at best, incomplete. A typically second-surface (silvered on the back of the glass) wall mirror has a reflectivity of approximately 85-90%, at maximum, because the glass absorbs a significant fraction of the incident light before it ever reaches the reflective surface, and absorbs the same fraction again on its way back out. Some high-quality white papers have reflectivities on the order of 90-95%. Telescopes and other precision optics use first-surface mirrors, to attain reflectivities greater than 98%.

[stickygreenlightsabr]

A-ha, I totally forgot to add that high-refletivity mirrors have special coatings. I stand corrected, but never said anything about using mirrors for growing.

[harmonicminor]

ok yes telescopes use concave mirrors a convex mirror would diffuse the light would it not?
if a mirror reflects light that isnt diffused how do you think it comes out of the light? we dont use light diffusers between the plants and the lights do we???