The chart shows the speed at which light travels through different media.

A 2 column by 5 row table. Column 1 is titled Medium and contains the following entries: Water, Air, Glass, Diamond. Column 2 is titled Speed of Light (meters per second) and contains the following entries: 2.25 times 10 Superscript 8 baseline, 2.99 times 10 Superscript 8 baseline, 1.97 times 10 Superscript 8 baseline, 1.24 times 10 Superscript 8 baseline.
In which medium would light have the longest wavelength?

water
air
glass
diamond

1 answer

The wavelength of light in a medium can be calculated using the formula:

\[ \text{Wavelength} = \frac{\text{Speed of Light in the Medium}}{\text{Frequency}} \]

Since the frequency of light remains constant across different media, the wavelength will be directly proportional to the speed of light in that medium. Therefore, the medium in which light travels at the highest speed will have the longest wavelength.

Based on the table you provided:

  • Water: \(2.25 \times 10^8\) m/s
  • Air: \(2.99 \times 10^8\) m/s
  • Glass: \(1.97 \times 10^8\) m/s
  • Diamond: \(1.24 \times 10^8\) m/s

From this data, Air has the highest speed of light at \(2.99 \times 10^8\) m/s. Therefore, light would have the longest wavelength in air.