Light, The Speed Of Light In: Air, Water And Glass- In Simple Terms

Light and Speed of Light in Different Mediums

• Light:

  • A form of electromagnetic radiation that is visible to the human eye.

  • Travels in straight lines and can be reflected, refracted, or absorbed.

• Speed of Light:

  • In a vacuum: Approximately 299,792 kilometers per second.

  • In different mediums:

    • Air: Slightly slower than in a vacuum, around 299,702 km/s.

    • Water: Slows down to about 225,000 km/s due to the denser medium.

    • Glass: Further slows down to around 200,000 km/s because of the dense structure of glass.

• Why does light slow down in different mediums?:

  • Light interacts with atoms in the medium, causing it to be absorbed and re-emitted.

  • This process delays the speed of light as it travels through denser materials.