Light transmission through glass.

AI Thread Summary
Light transmission through glass involves the dual nature of light, where its wavelength changes while the frequency remains constant when transitioning between mediums. The refractive index, defined as the ratio of the speed of light in air to that in the medium, plays a crucial role in determining how light behaves in glass. As light enters glass, its velocity decreases, leading to a change in wavelength but not frequency. The discussion also touches on the analogy of oscillating systems to illustrate how frequency can remain constant despite varying wavelengths. Understanding these principles is essential for grasping the complexities of light interaction with materials.
WoodenFrogs
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I was wondering if anyone on here could give me a detailed explanation on how light passes through glass. I'm a junior in physics at a university, so it's OK if the explanation is complex.
 
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light is having dual nature. when light travels from one medium to another medium wave length changes but no. of vibrations per sec i.e frequency remains constant. so velocity of light changes when light travels in glass or medium
refractive index[n]=C air/C medium
 
WoodenFrogs said:
I was wondering if anyone on here could give me a detailed explanation on how light passes through glass. I'm a junior in physics at a university, so it's OK if the explanation is complex.

You might want to start by reading our https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=104715" in this sub-forum. The entry on how photons move through a material might provide a starting point in understanding the mechanism of light interaction in solids.

Zz.
 
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Vishal60 said:
light is having dual nature. when light travels from one medium to another medium wave length changes but no. of vibrations per sec i.e frequency remains constant. so velocity of light changes when light travels in glass or medium
refractive index[n]=C air/C medium

I'm trying to imagine how the frequency remains constant while wave length changes, if you draw two Sine waves with the same frequency, but with different wave length - how does it look like?
 
GT1 said:
I'm trying to imagine how the frequency remains constant while wave length changes, if you draw two Sine waves with the same frequency, but with different wave length - how does it look like?

You need a velocity component to this. Take an oscillating mass-spring system. Now move it laterally at a velocity v. Now do the same thing but move it at a slower velocity v'. The wavelength when it is moving with velocity v is going to be longer than when it is moving with velocity v'. Yet, in both cases, the frequency remains the same, since the the mass-spring system is oscillating at the same frequency.

Zz.
 
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