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Yes. Light traveling in the same medium, travels in a straight path. It gets refracted only when it hits obliquely with another medium.

In olden days scientists thought light is supposed to travel as a ray. Ray meant continuous passage of tiny particles.

As understanding gets evolved now we think that light is an electromagnetic wave

(not a mechanical wave).

Mechanical wave certainly needs a material medium to get propagated where as the electromagnetic wave can even pass through free space, usually we call as vacuum.

Its gets diffracted, that is bent at the edges of obstacles, when it meets such.

cii nahh.

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Through what medium does light travel?

Light travels through a vacuum, and through the densest metals (though not usually very far). But then gamma radiation and radio waves are examples of light...


A substance that a wave travels through is called a?

The material through which a wave travels is called a medium.


A type of energy that travels as a wave but does not require a medium through which to travel?

Light energy.


Property of a light that leads to formation of shadow?

They are light travels in a straight line and light cannot pass through opaque objects./ some light cannot pass through translucent objects.


Do all transparent objects or substances bend light the same amount?

No. The amount that a particular medium bends light is related to the speed of light within that medium, not its transparency. The medium that light travels through affects the light's speed, and the greater the reduction of speed, the greater the angular distortion. For example, light travels faster through normal air than through glass or water, so when light hits a sheet of glass or a water droplet at an angle, it slows down and changes direction; when it hits the other side of the glass or water droplet and goes back into air it speeds up and changes direction again. if the two sides are perfectly parallel the light travels on in the same direction, but if they are not (as in a prism or a round water droplet), the light can continue on in a different direction. in fact, different wavelengths of light are deflected different amounts by entry into or exit from a given medium, which is what produces spectrums from prisms and rainbows from suspended water droplets. You can test this in a pool, pond, or bathtub: notice how when you look straight down into the water things are not very distorted (though they appear to be a little closer than you'd expect), but when you bend down and look into the water at an angle, objects that are straight look like they have a distinct bend in them.

Related Questions

What do you call the straight path that light travels?

light travels in straight paths called rays


When does light travel in a straight line?

travels through a uniform medium


When does light traveling a straight line?

travels through a uniform medium


What property of light best explain your observation?

The observation that light travels in a straight line can be explained by the property of light known as rectilinear propagation. This property states that light travels in a straight line in a homogenous medium.


Is a ray of light straight?

A ray of light is straight as long as it travels through a uniform medium, like air. However, if the light encounters a different medium or is refracted by a lens, it may change direction.


In what direction does light travel?

It travels in straight lines, However light cannot pass through walls, such as sound.


How demonstrate to a friend that light travels in a straight line in a given medium?

You can fill a transparent container with water, place a pencil in it, and observe how the pencil appears to be bent at the surface due to refraction. This bending effect demonstrates that light waves are also bending as they pass through the water, indicating that light travels in a straight line in the medium.


When light is travelling through a medium does it travel in a straight or curved line?

Light typically travels in a straight line through a uniform medium. However, if the medium's density changes, light can be refracted and its path curved. Additionally, light can be reflected, diffracted, or scattered depending on the properties of the medium it is passing through.


What kind of line does light travel?

Normally light travels in a straight line. However, it has been demonstrated that gravity can bend the path of light.


What is the proof that light travels in straight light?

Light actually travels in waves.This is known to be true because there are only 3 ways that energy can be transferred. As you probably already know, light does not need a medium to travel through because it travels through space. Electromagnetic waves are the only form of energy transfer that do not require a medium to travel through.


What is called Light travels in straight line?

A geodesical path


What do you mean by rectilinear propagation og light?

Rectilinear propagation of light means that light travels in straight lines in a uniform medium, unless it encounters a change in medium or interacts with matter. This concept is a fundamental property of light behavior and is described by the laws of geometrical optics.