Why is the speed of photons different?

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SUMMARY

The speed of photons in a vacuum is constant at approximately 299,792 kilometers per second (c), regardless of their frequency or color, such as red or blue. However, when photons pass through different materials, their effective speed changes due to the medium's refractive index, leading to phenomena like dispersion. This results in different wavelengths being affected differently, causing variations in speed within the medium. The discussion references Feynman's work on quantum electrodynamics and highlights the importance of understanding the distinction between speed in a vacuum and speed in various materials.

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GREENMONKEY
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I read the Feynman's book about the quantum electrodynamics and I realized, that he was talking about the different speed of photons - please why are photons travelling at different speed, the blue photons are faster that the red ones, for instance?
Hi,

I read the Feynman's book about the quantum electrodynamics and I realized, that he was talking about the different speed of photons. I know, that the light travel's "slower" in a material, but he is also talking about the different speed of photons. I read on the web, that some photons travel's faster than the ther ones because of different energy, but WHY? Please give me some deep answer - deep like Feynman's book, no less.
 
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GREENMONKEY said:
please why are photons traveling at different speed, the blue photons are faster that the red ones, for instance?
I think you must have misunderstood something. "red" and "blue" are just different frequencies in the EM spectrum and they all travel at the same speed, c (in a vacuum).
 
Last edited:
This is why the speed of light you have read about is measured in vacuum(c).
In other mediums, due to different diffraction coefficients certain wavelengths are affected differently.
 
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GREENMONKEY said:
I read on the web

Where? Please give a reference.
 

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