Calculating Light's Travel Time Through Layered Media

In summary, we have a problem involving the passage of light through a 9.6cm-thick sandwich of oil (n=1.46), glass (1.3cm) and polystyrene plastic (2.4cm, n=1.59). Using the equation n=c/v, we can find the speed of light in each medium as a function of c. Then, we can use the given speed of light (expressed in cm/s) to solve for the time it takes for light to pass through the sandwich, similar to calculating how long it would take to walk through a park and a boulevard at different speeds.
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hsphysics2
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Homework Statement



A 5.9cm-thick layer of oil (n=1.46) is sandwiched between a 1.3cm -thick sheet of glass and a 2.4cm-thick sheet of polystyrene plastic (n=1.59)

How long (in ns) does it take light incident perpendicular to the glass to pass through this 9.6cm -thick sandwich?

Homework Equations



n=c/v

v=fλ


The Attempt at a Solution





I am very confused to this problem because I am unsure of how to incorporate the length of the different mediums into the equations.
 
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  • #2
Hi.
You only need your first equation to give you v in each medium, as a function of c. Now given the value of the speed of light (which you can express in cm/s), the question is similar to:
if i walk through a A-meters wide park at B meters/s then across a C-meters wide boulevard at D meters/s, how long did it take me?..
 
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FAQ: Calculating Light's Travel Time Through Layered Media

1. What is the speed of light?

The speed of light is approximately 299,792,458 meters per second, or 186,282 miles per second. This is the fastest speed at which energy can travel in a vacuum.

2. How was the speed of light first discovered?

The first successful measurement of the speed of light was done in the 17th century by Danish astronomer Ole Rømer. He observed the eclipses of Jupiter's moon Io and noticed that the time between eclipses varied depending on the distance between Earth and Jupiter, which is due to the finite speed of light.

3. Does the speed of light change?

According to Einstein's theory of relativity, the speed of light is a constant and does not change. It is the same for all observers, regardless of their relative motion. This is known as the principle of the constancy of the speed of light.

4. How does the speed of light affect our daily lives?

The speed of light plays a crucial role in many aspects of our daily lives. It allows us to see the world around us, as light travels from objects to our eyes. It also enables us to communicate through fiber optic cables and satellite transmissions, and it is used in various technologies such as lasers, telescopes, and medical equipment.

5. Is it possible to travel faster than the speed of light?

According to the current laws of physics, it is not possible for any object to travel faster than the speed of light. As an object approaches the speed of light, its mass increases, making it impossible to accelerate it any further. Additionally, time and space behave differently at speeds close to the speed of light, making it physically impossible to exceed this speed.

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