OK , this theory assumes that Light is the ultimate velocity that does not change. If so then why does it change its speed when travelling from one medium to the other?
2007-02-28 09:33:08 · 3 answers · asked by gan_dyna15 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
good question. and i will give u a good answer !
the speed of light does NOT change in the medium.
it "appears" to slow down down because of "scattering" in the medium. in effect, the light takes a longer path by bouncing around the atoms of the medium until some of it exits from the medium.
the speed of the individual photons remains the same but the path they take thru the medium is longer ( hence taking more time ). we observe this as a slower speed.
additionally, some wavelengths scatter more and are thus separated in some media ( e.g. glass ) to produce a prism effect ( rainbow ).
this is because certain wavelengths are absorbed and released more readily than others by the medium.
to answer your question, yes, the overall speed is reduced but the actual speed of the photons is always "c".
hope some light was shed on your interesting question !
:)
2007-02-28 15:48:23 · answer #1 · answered by fullbony 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Einstein clearly says that this applies to the velocity in a vacuum, he doesn't mention about a medium change.
2007-03-04 17:35:31 · answer #2 · answered by smartdude474 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
resistance!(different refractive index0
2007-03-08 08:50:43 · answer #3 · answered by mr.maths 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋