My question is, given the above statement, why electromagnetic waves attain different speeds in media other than vacuum even though they are of the same type and propagate in the same medium?
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3$\begingroup$ But you just agreed that it is "in media other than vacuum". i.e. different medium. $\endgroup$– naturallyInconsistentCommented Jan 3 at 6:58
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1$\begingroup$ Does this answer your question? Why do prisms work (why is refraction frequency dependent)? $\endgroup$– John RennieCommented Jan 3 at 7:17
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$\begingroup$ See also Why does the refractive index depend on wavelength? $\endgroup$– John RennieCommented Jan 3 at 7:21
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1 Answer
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The speed of a wave depends on the type of wave, on the medium but also, not always but in most cases, on the frequency.
For instance, in media other than vacuum, lower frequency (red) light waves propagate faster than higher frequency (purple) ones. This is what causes rainbows.
