Wavelength Speed: 10nm vs 1mm - Does UV Travel Faster?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the speed of light at different wavelengths, specifically comparing 10nm UV light to 1mm IR light. It concludes that the speed of light remains constant regardless of wavelength, as all electromagnetic waves travel at approximately 299,792 kilometers per second in a vacuum. The argument presented suggests that while the distance may differ, the speed does not change based on wavelength. The analogy of water waves is used to illustrate the concept of wave motion versus distance traveled.

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Would light at 10nm be traveling at a slower speed due to having to go a shorter distance than light at 1mm? The IR light is traveling a straighter line to its destination than the UV so for both of them to arrive at the same time the UV must be going faster in order to make up time and be at the same destination at the same time as the IR right?
 
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Let's back up and think about water waves. If you throw a stick in the ocean, the waves don't wash it up on the shore. (That only happens if there's a wind.) The wave pattern moves smoothly in one direction, toward the beach. The water oscillates. The two motions are completely different.

A transverse wave isn't traveling along a sinudoidal path, so it's not right to imagine that there is extra distance involved.
 
Maybe better to consider the peaks & troughs of a wavelength as "phases", but not a traveled distance.
 

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