I was watching a tv show about diamonds and they said a diamond slows the speed of light by either 1/3 or 2/3 I forget. But if "c" is a universal constant how can a diamond slow down light?
2006-07-05 09:49:25 · 10 answers · asked by xoxoredbaron 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
It's the speed of light in a vacuum that is a universal constant.
Going through any substance will slow it down.
Like water or glass etc.
2006-07-05 09:52:54 · answer #1 · answered by BonesofaTeacher 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Are you sure it slowed the light down? I suspect that it just took some time to bounce around the facets then left.
This would have the appearance of slowing down, because it spends time inside the diamond...
A bird enters a barn that is 10 feet long at 35 mph. It flies around the barn a few times and leaves. It always flies at the same speed. It appears to the viewer that the bird flies slowly in the barn, when it just spends time flying about.
2006-07-05 10:00:00 · answer #2 · answered by RDHamm 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The speed of any wave is a "universal constant" sound waves, radar, radio, etc.. etc.. , however, when you change the medium a wave is passing through you can change its speed. Just like sound moves differently through water, light moves differently through something like a diamond.
2006-07-05 09:54:12 · answer #3 · answered by derajer 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, it's the speed of light in vacuum. However there are no full natural vaccums. There are also substances that will increase the speed of light past C.
2006-07-05 09:55:32 · answer #4 · answered by scottopherroy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
C is the speed of light in a vaccuum. Various objects (including air) reduce the speed of light.
2006-07-05 09:54:19 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The speed of light in a perfect vacuum is a universal constant, though there are arguments that if there is light in a perfect vacuum, then how is it a perfect vacuum...
2006-07-05 09:54:09 · answer #6 · answered by tallincalifornia 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Diamond bends lights and it is faster to travel in a straight line instead.
2006-07-05 09:53:42 · answer #7 · answered by 8 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Refraction
2006-07-05 09:53:10 · answer #8 · answered by raykpcs 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
simply put, light is quatum mechanical, (electromagnetic) energy. a material substance is bound together by quantum mechanical fields (energy) it appears that the presence of a quantum field produces impedence to other quantum energies.
gravitational lensing, refraction/ diffraction, nuclear absorption/emission.
2006-07-05 10:24:46 · answer #9 · answered by virtualscientist01 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is like a prism it reflacts like into many stream there by slowing it slightly i dont know how much.
2006-07-05 09:56:44 · answer #10 · answered by lcayote 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋