Question
Which statements about the speed of electromagnetic waves are accurate?
Multiple select question.
Refraction is caused by light traveling faster when it enters glass.
The speed of an electromagnetic wave in matter is always slower than in a vacuum.
All electromagnetic waves travel at the same speed in a vacuum.
All electromagnetic waves travel at the same speed in all materials.
Multiple select question.
Refraction is caused by light traveling faster when it enters glass.
The speed of an electromagnetic wave in matter is always slower than in a vacuum.
All electromagnetic waves travel at the same speed in a vacuum.
All electromagnetic waves travel at the same speed in all materials.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
Here are the accurate statements regarding the speed of electromagnetic waves:
1. **The speed of an electromagnetic wave in matter is always slower than in a vacuum.** - This statement is accurate. When electromagnetic waves, such as light, travel through a medium (like glass or water), they generally do so at a slower speed than they would in a vacuum due to interactions with the particles in the medium.
2. **All electromagnetic waves travel at the same speed in a vacuum.** - This statement is also accurate. In a vacuum, all electromagnetic waves, regardless of their frequency or wavelength (including radio waves, visible light, gamma rays, etc.), travel at the same speed, which is approximately \(3 \times 10^8\) meters per second (the speed of light).
The other two statements are not accurate:
- **Refraction is caused by light traveling faster when it enters glass.** - This statement is misleading. Refraction occurs because light travels slower in glass than in a vacuum, which is why its speed changes and the light bends when it enters the glass.
- **All electromagnetic waves travel at the same speed in all materials.** - This statement is inaccurate. The speed of electromagnetic waves varies depending on the material they are traveling through. Different materials have different indices of refraction, which affects the speed of the waves within them.
1. **The speed of an electromagnetic wave in matter is always slower than in a vacuum.** - This statement is accurate. When electromagnetic waves, such as light, travel through a medium (like glass or water), they generally do so at a slower speed than they would in a vacuum due to interactions with the particles in the medium.
2. **All electromagnetic waves travel at the same speed in a vacuum.** - This statement is also accurate. In a vacuum, all electromagnetic waves, regardless of their frequency or wavelength (including radio waves, visible light, gamma rays, etc.), travel at the same speed, which is approximately \(3 \times 10^8\) meters per second (the speed of light).
The other two statements are not accurate:
- **Refraction is caused by light traveling faster when it enters glass.** - This statement is misleading. Refraction occurs because light travels slower in glass than in a vacuum, which is why its speed changes and the light bends when it enters the glass.
- **All electromagnetic waves travel at the same speed in all materials.** - This statement is inaccurate. The speed of electromagnetic waves varies depending on the material they are traveling through. Different materials have different indices of refraction, which affects the speed of the waves within them.