reflector
Definition
Noun: 1. A device that reflects light, sound, or other radiation: An object or surface designed to throw back waves, such as light or radio waves, often to increase visibility, redirect signals, or concentrate energy. 2. A reflecting telescope: An optical telescope that uses a curved mirror (or combination of mirrors) to gather and focus light, producing a magnified image.
Usage and Examples
- As a safety device:
- The bicycle's rear reflector makes the cyclist more visible to car headlights at night.
- Road signs are coated with a special reflector material.
- In astronomy and optics:
- The observatory's main instrument is a large reflector with a mirror over two meters in diameter.
- Newton's reflector telescope design avoided the color distortion problems of lenses.
- In technology and engineering:
- The satellite dish acts as a reflector for radio signals.
- The antenna uses a parabolic reflector to focus the signal.
Advanced Usage
- "Perfect reflector": A theoretical surface that reflects all incident radiation without absorbing any.
- In physics problems, a surface is sometimes treated as a perfect reflector to simplify calculations.
- "Corner reflector": A device using three mutually perpendicular reflective surfaces to reflect waves directly back to their source, used in radar and navigation.
- Small boats often carry radar reflectors to make them more detectable.
Variants and Related Words
- Reflect (verb): To throw back (light, heat, or sound) from a surface.
- The lake reflects the mountains beautifully.
- Reflective (adjective):
- Capable of reflecting light or other radiation.
- She wore a reflective vest while jogging at dusk.
- Characterized by deep thought; thoughtful.
- He was in a reflective mood.
- Reflectance (noun): The measure of the proportion of light or other radiation reflected by a surface.
Synonyms
- Mirror (when referring to a surface that reflects light clearly to form an image).
- Cat's eye (a specific type of road safety reflector).
- Reflecting telescope (specifically for the astronomical instrument).
Related Phrases and Compounds
- Reflector sight: A type of gunsight or head-up display that projects an aiming point onto a glass reflector.
- Reflector oven: A cooking device that uses a reflective surface to concentrate heat on food.
- Parabolic reflector: A reflector with a parabolic shape that can collimate or focus waves.
Noun
-
optical telescope consisting of a large concave mirror that produces an image that is magnified by the eyepiece
-
Isaac Newton invented the reflecting telescope in 1668
-
-
device that reflects radiation
Khám phá thêm
Các từ liên quan
Từ đồng nghĩa
Từ chứa "reflector"
Từ có nhắc đến "reflector"
