Light travel at different speeds in different medium

  • Context: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter hbal9604@usyd
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Light Medium Travel
Click For Summary
SUMMARY

Light travels at different speeds in various media due to the medium's atomic structure and electromagnetic properties. The refractive index quantifies this speed change, which is inherently linked to the medium's density and molecular composition. Dispersion occurs because the speed of light in a medium is frequency-dependent, leading to variations in refraction for different wavelengths. Understanding these principles requires a grasp of the fundamental interactions between photons and the material's atoms.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of electromagnetic theory
  • Familiarity with the concept of refractive index
  • Knowledge of wave-particle duality of light
  • Basic principles of optics and light propagation
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the atomic structure of different materials and its effect on light speed
  • Explore the relationship between frequency and refractive index in various media
  • Study the principles of dispersion and its applications in optics
  • Investigate Huygens's Principle in greater detail and its implications for wave behavior
USEFUL FOR

Physicists, optical engineers, and students studying wave optics who seek a deeper understanding of light behavior in different materials.

hbal9604@usyd
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
hey, I was just wondering if someone could give me an explanation about the following:

1. why, physically, does light travel at different speeds in different medium

2. why is the speed at which it travels through different media dependent of frequency, as is the case with dispersion.

please don't explain snell's law. I know the equations. But the index of refraction is just a piece of algebraic information all bundled up in a package that you substitute in.

I'm also aware of Hugens's Principle which explains how refraction works due to the changed velocity due to the medium in question.

What I'm after is a more fundamental explanation, eg, relating to the inherent properties of glass vs water etc,

Thanks a lot!
 
Science news on Phys.org


You may want to start by reading an entry in the FAQ thread in the General Physics forum. The discussion on photon transport in a medium might be relevant.

Zz.
 

Similar threads

Undergrad What travels faster: visible light in water or X-rays in liquid mercury?
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
3K
Undergrad Is the index of refraction constant for a given medium?
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
5K
Undergrad Speed of light of different wavelengths in medium
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
9K
Undergrad How to find the speed of light practically?
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
3K
Graduate Can a photon travel slow enough to be seen by the naked eye
  • · Replies 18 ·
Replies
18
Views
3K
Undergrad Optics: Huygens' principle and bending of light
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Undergrad Speed of Light in Various Mediums
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Undergrad Why Does the Index of Refraction Vary by Light Color in Different Mediums?
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
High School One-Way Speed of Light
  • · Replies 93 ·
4
Replies
93
Views
6K
High School Why does light move slower in a more dense medium?
  • · Replies 16 ·
Replies
16
Views
6K