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The speed of light in a medium is defined by its refractive index. Light travels slower when there is a high refractive index.

Example:

Water has a refractive index of roughly 1.5, air is roughly 1. The speed of light in air is 300000000m/s in water is is 2000000000

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Compare the speed of light to the speed of sound?

Assuming you mean the speed of sound in air, the speed of light (in a vacuum) is about 800,000 times larger. However, sound has very different speeds, depending on the medium in which it travels.Assuming you mean the speed of sound in air, the speed of light (in a vacuum) is about 800,000 times larger. However, sound has very different speeds, depending on the medium in which it travels.Assuming you mean the speed of sound in air, the speed of light (in a vacuum) is about 800,000 times larger. However, sound has very different speeds, depending on the medium in which it travels.Assuming you mean the speed of sound in air, the speed of light (in a vacuum) is about 800,000 times larger. However, sound has very different speeds, depending on the medium in which it travels.


What is light refracted by?

Light is refracted by a discontinuity in the refractive index of the medium ... by going from one medium into another one where the speed of light is different.


Why do waves of different wavelengths travel at the same speed?

Waves of different wavelengths traveling at the same speed is a property of the medium through which they are moving. In a homogeneous medium, such as air or water, the speed of the wave is determined by the properties of that medium, like its density and elasticity. Therefore, waves with different wavelengths will travel at the same speed in that medium.


In which medium is the speed of light a maximum?

The speed of light is a maximum in a vacuum. In other media, such as air or water, the speed of light is slower due to interactions with the medium's particles.


Why is the speed of sound slower then the speed of light?

The sound needs a medium to be transported. Without that medium (vacuum) there is no sound. The sound is blocked by air mulecules. The light does not need a medium.


How can the speed of a light wave be changed?

The speed of a light wave can be changed by traveling through different mediums with varying refractive indexes. When light enters a medium with a higher refractive index, it slows down, and when it exits to a medium with a lower refractive index, it speeds up. This change in speed is due to the interaction of light with the atoms in the medium.


Why light is refracted as it moves from air into glass?

Light is refracted as it moves from air into glass because the speed of light changes as it travels from a less dense medium (air) to a more dense medium (glass). This change in speed causes the light rays to bend, resulting in refraction.


Why is it important to explain the speed of light together with the medium in which the light travels?

The speed of light is dependent on the medium it travels through. Light travels fastest in a vacuum than in water or air.


When is light refracted?

Light is refracted when it passes from one medium to another with a different optical density, such as from air to water or from air to glass. This phenomenon causes the light to change direction as it enters the new medium due to a change in its speed.


What happens to the speed of the light as it travels from the air through the glass and then through the water?

The light refracts due to the change in speed. The change in speed occurs because the light is travelling through a denser medium. So it will travel fastest through the air and slowest through the glass


When light bends what does it pass through?

When light bends, it is passing through a medium with a different optical density, such as air to water or glass. This change in medium causes the speed of light to change, resulting in refraction or bending of the light rays.


What does speed change when a ray of light leaves air and enters a piece of glass?

The speed of light slows down ... in general, the denser the material, the lower the speed of light. (For example : air to water to glass.) The maximum speed is in a vacuum.