In vacuum.Lunct said:I know that light is always at constant speed
I guess you can call that acceleration, yes.Lunct said:but does it ever accelerate when changing direction, if you put light through lots of different densities it curves into the Brachistochrone curve, would that be an instance of light acceleration.
In a rotating reference frame light does accelerate in a vacuumLunct said:I know that light is always at constant speed but does it ever accelerate when changing direction, if you put light through lots of different densities it curves into the Brachistochrone curve, would that be an instance of light acceleration.
Coordinate acceleration ... You might as well say it does not have constant speed.Dale said:In a rotating reference frame light does accelerate in a vacuum
YesOrodruin said:Coordinate acceleration ... You might as well say it does not have constant speed.
Lunct said:I know that light is always at constant speed but does it ever accelerate when changing direction, if you put light through lots of different densities it curves into the Brachistochrone curve, would that be an instance of light acceleration.
Yes, light does accelerate. However, according to the theory of relativity, the speed of light is constant and cannot increase or decrease. This means that light does not experience acceleration in the same way that objects with mass do.
Light travels at a constant speed because it does not experience the same type of acceleration as objects with mass. Instead, it travels in a straight line at a constant speed, known as the speed of light, regardless of its surroundings or the observer's frame of reference.
Yes, light can be affected by gravity. According to Einstein's theory of general relativity, gravity bends the fabric of space-time, causing light to follow a curved path when it passes near a massive object.
No, light does not slow down. As mentioned before, the speed of light is constant and cannot be changed. However, light can appear to slow down when it travels through different materials, such as water or glass, due to the bending and absorption of its energy.
Light exhibits properties of both a particle and a wave. This concept, known as wave-particle duality, suggests that light can act as a particle (photon) when interacting with matter, and as a wave when traveling through space. Its behavior is dependent on the observation or measurement being made.