Quote:
Originally posted by RatherThanWords
I am going to have to disagree with Rogue49's earlier statement that "The Speed of light is constant" The speed of light is in fact not constant, but it does have a maximum value. That maximum value is known as C, but Light can be slower. Simply pass light though any object with an index of refraction greater than 1 and light is slowed. We know this because the measured frequency in the object is constant, but the wavelength of light changes. Using the equation velocity=frequency*wavelength, we find that with a constant frequency, a decrease in wavelenth will propagate to a decrease in velocity.
|
Not quite.
There are two explanations for why you're wrong here. The speed of light postulate states that the speed of light is a constant in a vacuum. That's what Einstein said. An object with a refraction of more than 1 is not a vacuum.
Or, using what we've learned since, light doesn't actually slow down in these substances. instead, it is annihilated when it strikes atoms and is forced to slow down. In turn, its energy then creates more light at the same frequency. The time this takes gives the impression that light is slowing down, when in fact it is just being created and destroying many times, but always travelling at c when in existence.
Or you could just go with those substances not being vacuums, since my terminology is probably way off for the second explanation.