The discussion revolves around the behavior of light as it passes through a liquid with a time-varying refractive index. Participants are exploring whether the path of the light ray will be straight or curved.
There is an ongoing exploration of the assumptions regarding the nature of the refractive index. Some participants agree on the reasoning that symmetry might imply a straight path, but the discussion remains open without a definitive conclusion.
Participants are clarifying whether the problem involves time-varying or spatially varying refractive index, which could significantly affect the interpretation of the light's path.
Are you certain the problem statement specified "time varying" and not a spatial variation such as refractive index of atmosphere with altitude?arpon said:
No spatial variation.Bystander said:
I agree with your reasoning. By symmetry, there is no reason it should start curving one way rather than the other.arpon said: