Speed of Light: Does It Change?

In summary, the speed of light changes in different substances due to interactions with matter, and the magnitude of the change depends on the refractive index of the medium. In relativity, the fact that light travels at a constant speed in a vacuum is irrelevant as it is simply a scale factor between units of time and distance. This does not change whether light is moving at that speed within a medium or not.
  • #1
Lunct
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16
Does the speed of light change in different substances, or does it seem to change because it gets absorbed and emitted by all the particles?
 
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  • #2
It changes. In media other than vaccum, the speed of light is decreased, and the magnitude of the new velocity depends on the refractive index of the medium.
 
  • #3
Depends what you mean. Light interacting with matter is complicated. Inside a material, there are electric fields from the electrons and nuclei, so Maxwell's equations don't simplify to the wave equation for a wave traveling at c. The speed of light changes; it isn't random walk absorption and re-emission.

That doesn't really mean anything in relativistic terms. In relativity, the fact that light in a vacuum travels at c is more or less irrelevant - c is actually just a natural scale factor between units of time and distance. That doesn't change, whether light is locally moving at that speed or not.
 

Related to Speed of Light: Does It Change?

What is the speed of light?

The speed of light is a fundamental physical constant that represents the speed at which light travels in a vacuum. It is denoted by the letter "c" and has a value of approximately 299,792,458 meters per second.

Does the speed of light change?

According to Einstein's theory of relativity, the speed of light is constant and does not change. This means that no matter the observer's frame of reference or the speed of the source emitting the light, the speed of light will always be the same.

Is the speed of light the fastest speed possible?

As far as we know, the speed of light is the fastest speed possible in the universe. It is considered to be a universal speed limit and cannot be exceeded by any object or information.

How was the speed of light first measured?

The first successful measurement of the speed of light was carried out by Danish astronomer Ole Rømer in the 17th century using observations of Jupiter's moons. However, it was not until the 19th century that the speed of light was accurately determined by experiments involving mirrors and rotating wheels.

Can the speed of light be slowed down?

In certain materials, such as water or glass, the speed of light can appear to be slower due to the interactions between the photons and the atoms in the material. However, this does not mean that the actual speed of light has changed, but rather it has been affected by the medium it is traveling through.

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