- Fiber optics are generally used for data transmission. These clear, flexible cables are able to send infrared signals for hundreds of miles with little or no signal loss or degradation, making them one of the backbone technologies of the Internet. Because they carry light, they can also be used for more low-tech applications. Fiber optic lighting is used in toys, home and industrial lighting and even synthetic Christmas trees.
- At the center of a fiber optic cable is a flexible, transparent tube made out of plastic or glass. Around this tube is a seamless, reflective coating and around that is a protective coating to prevent damage. In fiber optic cables designed for lighting, part or all of the transparent fiber optic tube may be uncovered to let light shine through.
- At one end of the fiber optic cable is a light, which shines into the cable. Because it is an ordinary light, it doesn't go perfectly straight, but veers off in various directions. When the cable is bent, it causes the light to veer even further. That is where the reflective coating comes in. Any light that veers off course is reflected back into the tube by the coating. At the end of the cable, the light shines out of the tube as a small light. If any part of the tube is exposed, some of the light that has been bouncing back and forth between the walls will shine out of there, too.
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