Why does light passing through an acrylic cylinder create fan-shaped rainbow patterns?

When light enters a curved acrylic cylinder, it refracts at the curved surface according to Snell's Law. Because acrylic has a refractive index of about 1.49, different wavelengths bend at slightly different angles, separating white light into spectral colors. The cylindrical geometry causes the refracted rays to spread into a characteristic fan shape, with thin rainbow fringes visible along each light line.

How can this Photo be used?

With a commercial license on Kataloop, this stock photo works well for educational materials on optics and physics, campaigns in the technology or materials sector, and abstract backgrounds in apps, magazines, or ads. The high resolution of 8640x5760 pixels supports large-format print applications without quality loss.

What mood does this Photo convey?

The fan-shaped light lines radiating across the bright surface create a precise, ordered impression of structure and energy. The cool blue tones convey focus and clarity, while the narrow rainbow edges along the light lines add subtle complexity without making the image feel restless.

What equipment was used to capture this Photo?

The fan-shaped light lines in this image were captured with the Sony ILCE-1 and the Laowa 24mm f/14 2x Macro Probe lens. The probe's narrow design allows extremely close perspectives right at the acrylic cylinder's surface. The Alpha 1's 50-megapixel resolution (8640x5760 px) preserves every spectral line in sharp detail.

What visual style or trend does this Photo represent?

Abstract macro shots of physical phenomena are trending because they make science visually accessible. This image fits the growing demand for STEM visuals as well as the need for geometric abstract backgrounds in technology communication. Light patterns as visual language are increasingly appearing in branding for research and innovation sectors.

Light refraction through acrylic cylinder

Name: Light refraction through acrylic cylinder
Brand: Kataloop
Price: 16 EUR
Availability: InStock

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Light refraction through acrylic cylinder

Kataloop stock photo no.

3472114

8640

5760

35482480

SONY ILCE-1

Laowa 24mm f/14 2x Macro Probe

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Light refraction through acrylic cylinder

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Why does light passing through an acrylic cylinder create fan-shaped rainbow patterns?

How can this photo be used?

What mood does this photo convey?

What equipment was used to capture this photo?

What visual style or trend does this photo represent?

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