All Questions
59
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When light passes from one medium to another. Depending on the density, it would experience a change in velocity. Why would its vector change as well?
For example, when light passes through water its velocity decreases and refraction occurs. Why? Why is there a change in direction. If I slow down a car I don’t suddenly turn left.
2
votes
1
answer
119
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What is the speed of light in case of Critical Angle?
When light travels from an optically denser to a rarer medium, it bends away from the normal and at a specific angle of incidence, the angle of refraction is ${90}^{\circ}$. When the angle of ...
4
votes
5
answers
488
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Is the speed of causality slower in water?
I've recently read that what most people learned to think of as the 'speed of light' is actually the 'speed of causality', and that light just happens to travel at that speed (through free-space.) I'...
- 453
0
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0
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45
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Does Color change happen under a prism? [duplicate]
I was watching this video.
It Showed that light ( green ) changes its color to red after incidence of light. I couldn't think of how this happens because light's color is dependent on frequency rather ...
- 441
0
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1
answer
51
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What is the definition of absolute refractive index of a medium?
I know the definition is the ratio of the speed of light in vacuum to the phase velocity of light in the given medium. Here, which color of light do we consider while calculating the ratio? For ...
- 11
3
votes
2
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452
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What exactly is "dense" in Optical Density?
My book states that:
When passing from one medium to another, if light slows down, the second medium is said to be optically denser than the first medium, and if light speeds up, then the second ...
- 1,168
0
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1
answer
125
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What happens to the time period when refraction occurs? [duplicate]
I was studying light and had a doubt that when refraction occurs (rarer to denser just assuming) then frequency remains same but lambda (wavelength) and velocity decrease. But I cant quite figure out ...
0
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2
answers
862
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Translucent materials, like frosted glass, do have a refractive index?
I'm an architectural lighting designer in Mexico and I know the basics of absorption, transmission, reflection and refraction of materials. But I can't find anything about translucent materials like ...
0
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0
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22
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Direction of refraction of light confusion [duplicate]
Why exactly do light rays bend towards the normal as it travels from an optically rarer to denser medium, and similarly, why do they bend away from the normal as they move from optically denser to a ...
0
votes
1
answer
22
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Intuitive Explanation behind algebraically adding the vertical shifts produced by transparent objects
Given are two transparent slabs of different refractive indexes, a point object is placed at the bottom of $B$. My book says that the total shift produced is the algebraic sum of the shifts of each ...
user318780
0
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1
answer
128
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Acceleration of Light when it moves through different medium
Assume three mediums with refractive index $a$ , $b$ , $c$ where is $a$ for Air and $b$ and $c$ are some different medium. Relation between them is $a<c<b$. As Light enters Via point $P$ and $Q$...
- 75
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3
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2k
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How does change in Temperature affect Refractive Index/Optical Density of a medium?
In my school book its stated that:
With increase in temperature, the speed of light in a medium increases, so the refractive index of medium decreases.
I read in another answer that:
Refractive ...
- 1,168
0
votes
1
answer
262
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Speed of light at low temperatures
From my understanding the temperature in a black hole nears absolute zero. Also some experiments have shown that light can be slowed. 1) is this true?
Matter cannot reach the speed of light, yet light ...
- 1
1
vote
3
answers
479
views
Can photons only exist in the state of motion in a medium?
Photons are known to travel at a speed of $\rm 299 \ 792 \ 458 \ m / s$ in vacuum. Photons can be absorbed, or absorbed and re-emitted by matter. They slow down to $\rm 225,000,000 \ m/s$ in water ...
- 401
1
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1
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64
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Frequency of EM waves
When light travels in air, all the component frequencies of light travels with the same velocity $v_{air} = 1/\sqrt {\epsilon_0\mu_0}$ (where $\epsilon_0$ is independent of frequency. Then we say that ...
- 453