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According to my physics book light changes speed in different mediums such as water. Doesn't the speed of light have to remain constant?
Thanks in advance
Thanks in advance
No.Is light changing speed a relatively new discovery?
That is a widely held, but incorrect, belief. There is a recent thread on this. I suggest a forum search.I had the impression that In the case of light going through a medium, the apparent speed slows down due to the rate that electrons absorb and emit photons, but that the speed of the photons as they travel unimpeded remains the same.
I had the impression that In the case of light going through a medium, the apparent speed slows down due to the rate that electrons absorb and emit photons, but that the speed of the photons as they travel unimpeded remains the same.
Thanks. At least I know why I had that impression (might have been related to propagation inside of a laser). I wondered what percentage of light is actually captured and re-emitted while traveling through a medium such as glass.That is a widely held, but incorrect, belief. There is a recent thread on this. I suggest a forum search.
See post #2So light can change speed? It doesn't always travel at 186,000 mi/s ?
https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/do-photons-move-slower-in-a-solid-medium/That is a widely held, but incorrect, belief. There is a recent thread on this. I suggest a forum search.