Posts Tagged ‘science’
Light Speed Reading
Sunday, August 21st, 2011
Why does matter slow down the speed of light?
reading about the speed of light, c . on wikipedia it says
It is the speed of electromagnetic radiation (such as radio waves, visible light, or gamma rays) in vacuum, where there are no atoms, molecules or other types of matter that can slow it down.
but how does matter slow down the speed of light??
When light enters a material, photons are absorbed by the atoms in that material, increasing the energy of the atom. The atom will then lose energy after some tiny fraction of time, emitting a photon in the process. This photon, which is identical to the first, travels at the speed of light until it is absorbed by another atom and the process repeats. The delay between the time that the atom absorbs the photon and the excited atom releases as photon causes it to appear that light is slowing down.
This explanation is a simplification, but it’s good enough unless you want to get into the details of the quantum mechanics equations.
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The Magic School Bus – Makes a Rainbow [VHS] $6.93 Hold on to your school bags: it’s time for another eccentric day with Ms. Frizzle, the wacky and winsome science teacher who stars in Scholastic’s popular program Magic School Bus. Science concepts come alive when the Friz leads her inquisitive class on extraordinary adventures inside a magical bus, in this wildly watchable program based on Joanna Cole’s books. Ms. Frizzle explores the secrets of … |
