Scattering

Common card · No. 223283

In physics, scattering is a wide range of physical processes where moving particles or radiation of some form, such as light or sound, are forced to deflect from a straight trajectory or are blocked by localized non-uniformities (including particles, matter, interfaces, and radiation) in the propagation medium through which they pass. In conventional use, this also includes deviation of reflected radiation from the angle predicted by the law of reflection. Reflections of radiation that undergo scattering are often called diffuse reflections and unscattered reflections are called specular (mirror-like) reflections. Originally, the term was confined to light scattering (going back at least as far as Isaac Newton in the 17th century). As more "ray"-like phenomena were discovered, the idea of scattering was extended to them, so that William Herschel could refer to the scattering of "heat rays" (not then recognized as electromagnetic in nature) in 1800. John Tyndall, a pioneer in light scattering...

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