All Questions
20
questions
2
votes
0
answers
102
views
Why does refractive index increase with concentration of the medium?
I learnt that lights decrease velocity in a medium during absorbance and emission of its energy in the charged particles in the medium. From the Beer's law, I read that absorbance is directly ...
- 21
0
votes
1
answer
183
views
Maxwell equations in matter and speed of light
I'm in a frame in which a medium is at rest, and I observe light move at some speed.
Now this medium moves at some constant speed, in this case I'll observe a different speed for light.
We can find ...
- 1,270
0
votes
1
answer
136
views
Why visible light satisfies Maxwell equations? [duplicate]
As it is described in standard textbooks I looked at, the Maxwell equations were first established for electromagnetic fields created by electric currents. Then it is stated that it was discovered ...
- 2,226
1
vote
0
answers
31
views
How the speed of light remains stable inside a transparent material? [duplicate]
Velocity is initially reduced but then remains constant for as long as light is passing through a transparent medium like glass
- 455
-1
votes
2
answers
618
views
Speed of light and wavelength
Does the speed of Electromagnetic wave depend on its wave length? For vacuum I'm aware that it's a constant $c=\frac{1}{\sqrt{\mu_o\epsilon_o}}$. Similarly can we say speed of light in any medium is a ...
- 1,161
2
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Why does the speed of light change? [duplicate]
While researching the cause of refraction, I found that refraction occurs due to the change of speed of light when it goes from one medium to another (according to Huygens principle).
But I cannot ...
- 315
0
votes
6
answers
2k
views
Could the refractive index of a material change?
Is it possible that the refractive index of a material could change? If so, what are those factors and what kind of variation could they bring?
0
votes
1
answer
1k
views
When given light colour and refractive index, how do I find wavelength?
Example situation
If I knew that this green light, which has a wavelength of 500 nm in air, travels through a medium with a refractive index of 2.4, how would I find the wavelength in the medium?
...
- 147
0
votes
2
answers
534
views
Photon in refractive medium
When light enters a refractive medium, is speed changes according to the refractive index $n$ of the medium. The microscopic explanation for this relies on calculations involving waves.
There should ...
- 1,395
0
votes
2
answers
140
views
What quantum mechanical effect allows light to gain it's speed when it moves from another medium back into air/vacuum? [duplicate]
According to refractive index's formula, we say that speed of light is other mediums is smaller than that of speed of light in air/vacuum. What quantum mechanical effects govern the increase in speed ...
9
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Why is the speed of light in a medium smaller than its value in vacuum?
The speed of electromagnetic waves in a medium is smaller than its value in the vacuum: $$v=\frac{1}{\sqrt{\mu\epsilon}}=c/n<c$$ with the refractive index $n=\sqrt{\frac{\mu\epsilon}{\mu_0\...
- 26.8k
-1
votes
1
answer
135
views
Change in Speed of Light [duplicate]
Whenever light enters from air to glass its speed decreases but when it cross the glass and again come in air its speed increases. What is the reason behind this property? What is slowing it and what ...
- 449
16
votes
4
answers
3k
views
To what extent can speed of light be reduced? [duplicate]
Light slows down upon entering different transparent objects, and the ratio is taken as refractive index of the object. If light can be slowed down, then is there a limit up to which it can be slowed ...
- 803
2
votes
1
answer
888
views
Help understanding Fizeau's calculation of speed of light
While searching for different methods of calculating Speed of light, I came across one of the methods that Fizeau discussed below which I cannot fully understand.
In short, in Fizeau’s apparatus, a ...
- 147
9
votes
2
answers
51k
views
Why does the light travel slower in denser medium? [duplicate]
Wikipedia says that "in general, the refractive index of a glass increases with its density." And the refraction index of water vapor is less than ice, and even less than liquid water. Is there any ...
- 1,168