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Q: Compared to air the speed of light in water is?
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How you calculate the speed of light in water?

Assuming the speed of light in air is already known (it is close to the speed of light in a vacuum), you might check how the light refracts when it changes from air to water (at what angle), and then use Snell's Law.


What happens to speed of light from water to air?

It speeds up. Air and water are both media (plural form of medium). Each one of them has a different speed of light. As the incident ray passes from air to water, it refracts to be closer to the normal. A refraction occurs when there is a change in the speed of light. A change in the speed of light occurs when there is a change in media. In this case the media is changed from air to water. The second medium (water) must also have a lower speed of light in order for refraction to occur


How does the speed of light change when it enters the water?

That would depend what it enters from. If the light is transitioning from air to water,its speed decreases. If it's going from jello to water, its speed increases.


What happens to speed of light when light goes into air?

That depends what it comes out of. If it passes into air from vacuum, thenits speed decreases. If it passes into air from water or jello, then its speedincreases.


What is the average light speed when light beam emerges from water into air?

The speed of light in air is approx 299,700,000 metres per second. This is not very different from its maximum speed which is its speed in vacuum: 299,792,458 metres per second. The fact that the beam emerges from water is irrelevant.

Related questions

Does light travel faster underwater than in air?

As compared to what? Compared to air, or to a vacuum, light travels quite a bit slower in water.As compared to what? Compared to air, or to a vacuum, light travels quite a bit slower in water.As compared to what? Compared to air, or to a vacuum, light travels quite a bit slower in water.As compared to what? Compared to air, or to a vacuum, light travels quite a bit slower in water.


When a ray of light passes from water to air speed increases?

Yes. The speed of light in water is approximately 2/3 the speed of light in air.


Does light speed up or slow down when it leaves water into the air?

The speed of light in air is almost but not quite the same as its speed in vacuum,whereas its speed in water is about 25% less.So when light passes from air into water, its speed drops by about 25% .


How you calculate the speed of light in water?

Assuming the speed of light in air is already known (it is close to the speed of light in a vacuum), you might check how the light refracts when it changes from air to water (at what angle), and then use Snell's Law.


What happens to the speed of light as it moves from water into air?

The speed increases.


Is the speed of light in air and in water is the same is the best explanation why the pencil appears broken at the boundary air and water?

If the speed of light were the same in air and water, then the pencil would appearstraight, NOT broken. The beginning of the simplest explanation of why it doesappear broken is the fact that the speed of light is different in air and in water,and that causes light to bend when goes from one into the other.


Is this true or false that light moves slower through water than through air?

Yes it is true. If c is the speed of light in air then in water it will be 3/4 of c Hence refractive index of water = speed of light in air/speed of light in water So refractive index = 4/3 = 1.333


Is the speed of light greater or lesser in air than in water?

The speed is the same. Light travels at a finite speed.


What happens to speed of light from water to air?

It speeds up. Air and water are both media (plural form of medium). Each one of them has a different speed of light. As the incident ray passes from air to water, it refracts to be closer to the normal. A refraction occurs when there is a change in the speed of light. A change in the speed of light occurs when there is a change in media. In this case the media is changed from air to water. The second medium (water) must also have a lower speed of light in order for refraction to occur


Is the light travels SLOWER in air than water is the best explanation why the pencil appears broken at the boundary air and water?

Yoiu can explain that observation with the difference of the speed of light in air and in water. But in fact, the speed is FASTER in air and SLOWER in water.


How does the speed of light change when it enters the water?

That would depend what it enters from. If the light is transitioning from air to water,its speed decreases. If it's going from jello to water, its speed increases.


What happens to speed of light when light goes into air?

That depends what it comes out of. If it passes into air from vacuum, thenits speed decreases. If it passes into air from water or jello, then its speedincreases.