Bouncing around in the gas?
2007-04-11 02:21:44 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
what slows the light down as it passes through gas? Would it be the gravity field surrounding gas molecules bending the light? Causing a zigzag path?
2007-04-11 02:32:55 · update #1
Both speed and path depends on density of the medium. It makes no difference whether the medium is gas or liquid. Density is the factor here.
If density of the medium varies speed will also vary place to place and traveling path will not be straight. But if density of the medium is uniform then traveling path of light will be straight line and speed will be same all the way.
2007-04-11 03:07:00 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the light wave strikes the surface of the gas at a perfect right angle, the NET motion of the pathway would be straight along a thread in the fabric of space. Previous answers are pretty much correct on it not being straight at the atomic level. However, if the wave strikes the gas surface at an angle, or the gas density varies, the beam, or light wave front, will be deflected or REFRACTED because of the slight variation in the speed of light thru materials of different optical densities.
2007-04-11 09:36:42 · answer #2 · answered by Bruce D 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No. It passes through it at a slightly slower speed. If the gas is thick enough, it traps light. Light does not have the ability to zigzag (unless you're talking about the individual light particles themselves, which do flow in waves).
2007-04-11 09:25:29 · answer #3 · answered by lost.in.love 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The answer is kinda yes and no, when light travels thro a medium, if it hits a bit of gas that particle of light ( or refeclted light wave ) is bounced back and seen as "light".
But the majority of the ligth will pass without hitting ( the density is quite low compared to the size of the light particles
2007-04-11 09:26:01 · answer #4 · answered by pj2024 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Kind of, but not exactly. When a photon hits an atom, it may scatter, or bounce off in another direction. Or it may be absorbed and another photon emitted a fraction of a second later by the same atom. But most just miss all the atoms and go straight through.
2007-04-11 09:27:59 · answer #5 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Like air,if the density is stable it will pass through in a straight path.
It the density varies it could wiggle around a bit we have the same situation when you look at stars and they twinkle.
2007-04-11 09:30:49 · answer #6 · answered by Billy Butthead 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
the lights always wanna go in a streght path so it can not pass zigzag but when it wanna pass from some body the body makes light speed slower (in the differential you are right it gose zigzag but its not so obvious )
2007-04-11 09:58:27 · answer #7 · answered by suerena 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋