Thank you for sharing the link. In that thread a light ray just goes from a rarer medium to a denser and back to the same rarer medium so the wavelength of the light at the start and end is the same and there is no difference in the color of the original light. My question is different as light passes from denser to rarer so the wavelength received by observer will be different. shouldn't that make the original color of an object in the denser medium different from what is received?DrClaude said:
One reason for this question, at least that's been why I was interested in, are applications in ophthalmology. Being someone who has been lasered a few times it was an interesting answer.nasu said:But even if it were dependent of wavelength (hypothetically), then why would you care about the wavelength in that medium or in any other medium?
Light's color changes in different media due to the process of refraction. When light travels from one medium to another, such as from air to water, its speed and direction change, causing the light waves to bend. This bending of light causes the different colors of light to separate, resulting in a change in the perceived color of the light.
The change in light's color is a result of the different wavelengths of light being affected differently by the refractive index of the medium. Each color of light has a unique wavelength, and when it enters a medium with a different refractive index, the speed and direction of each color are altered, causing them to separate and creating a change in color.
The main factor that affects light's color change in different media is the refractive index of the medium. The refractive index is a measure of how much a medium can change the speed and direction of light. The higher the refractive index, the greater the change in light's color will be. Other factors that may affect light's color change include the angle of incidence and the thickness of the medium.
Some common examples of media that cause light's color to change include water, glass, and air. When white light enters a glass prism, it separates into its component colors, creating a rainbow effect. The same phenomenon can be observed when light travels through a glass of water or a soap bubble. Other examples include the change in color of a pencil in a glass of water and the change in color of a straw in a glass of soda.
The change in light's color in different media can affect our perception of color in various ways. For example, when looking through a medium with a high refractive index, such as a glass of water, objects may appear distorted and their colors may appear different. This effect is known as chromatic aberration. Additionally, the change in color of light can also affect our perception of the color of objects. For instance, an object that appears blue in air may appear green when viewed through a glass of water due to the change in light's color.