[Phys-L] Sliding Door Sliders as Optical Filters?
We recently moved into a retirement apartment which has a balcony sliding
door with slider (vertical) blinds. We have a northwest view out the
sliding glass door. The apartment is on the sixth floor. In the afternoon,
when the sun is in the west, if we close the sliders, they appear reddish as
they rotate about a vertical axis due to AC air currents. Normally, the
plastic sliders are translucent and off-white in color. My wife and I are
curious about what causes the reddish effect. My best guess is that they
are acting as selective optical filters as they rotate in the sunlight.
They selectively pass more red light and less blue light as they rotate.
Any opinions on what is causing this effect?
Don Polvani
Retired Adjunct Physics Lecturer