Question
Photons always propagate With speed c. but light appears to travel at a speed different from c in dense media .how can we account for this phenomenon
Answers
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This phenomenon can be explained by the fact that photons can interact with the atoms and molecules in the medium, resulting in a delay in their propagation. This delay can be seen as a slowing down of the effective speed of light in the medium.
When light travels through a medium, it encounters atoms and molecules that form the medium. These particles can absorb and re-emit the photons as they pass through, causing a delay in their propagation. This delay manifests itself as a reduction in the effective speed of light in the medium, which is known as the refractive index of the medium.
The refractive index is a measure of how much a medium slows down the speed of light. It can be expressed as the ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum to its speed in the medium, n = c/v. The higher the refractive index of a medium, the slower light will travel through it.
Thus, the apparent slowing down of light in dense media can be explained by the interaction of photons with the atoms and molecules in the medium, resulting in a delay in their propagation, and a lower effective speed of light in the medium.
When light travels through a medium, it encounters atoms and molecules that form the medium. These particles can absorb and re-emit the photons as they pass through, causing a delay in their propagation. This delay manifests itself as a reduction in the effective speed of light in the medium, which is known as the refractive index of the medium.
The refractive index is a measure of how much a medium slows down the speed of light. It can be expressed as the ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum to its speed in the medium, n = c/v. The higher the refractive index of a medium, the slower light will travel through it.
Thus, the apparent slowing down of light in dense media can be explained by the interaction of photons with the atoms and molecules in the medium, resulting in a delay in their propagation, and a lower effective speed of light in the medium.