Does light travel slower through water?

Answer 1

Actually, No light does not travel slower in water. Lights speed is still C (roughly 186,000 Miles per second). Speed is basically a function of time and distance. the time it takes for something to span a given distance. Because of refraction (interacting with other atoms within the structure of water) the light is taking a much longer route than it would if it was out of water. The light is bouncing off of all the atoms it is encountering along its path and therefore greatly increasing the distance it is traveling. for example, the distance between point a and point b is 186,000 miles. in a vacuum it would take 1 second for a pulse of light to span that distance. if it was traveling in water it would take longer. In mathmatical terms it would be C/n, where n is the refractive index of water, so 186,000/1.33 = 139849.624, or 1.25 seconds roughly.

Answer 2

Light travels slower through water and other liquids or gases because liquids and solids are denser than air because their particles are closer together than in gases. Therefore, when the light/gas particles travel through the matter, if it is denser than air, the energy from the light/gas particles will keep transferring to the particles of the matter and will most of its energy. This is why it travels slower, because the particles drain the energy from the light/gas particles. Also, if you place a light source at a slight angle and put a square/rectangular block of glass in the light, the light will change path and deflect slightly so it won't travel in a straight line. The particles will bounce of each other and change direction. This is why light bends and slows down through objects. Also, when fishermen through their line in the pond, it seems like the fish is nibbling on the bait when it is actually a few centimeters or millimeters to the side.

Answer 3

The speed of light slows down in water because light must penetrate through the water. Light is very fast in a vacuum (nothing in the way), slightly slower in air (stuff in the way), and even slower in water (lots of stuff in the way).

Answer 4

Yes, they do. This is called "refraction" (I think. e.o) Since the water is more dense then the air, the light travels through it slower and bends the light.(That's why things appear distorted under the water)

Answer 5

It depends on what the light was going through before the water. If it was a less dense medium, such as air, the light would slow down.

Answer 6

When traveling between two media of different indices of refraction, the of the light changes. The transmission of light will most definitely go more slowly in water than in air.