If the speed of light in a vacuum is 3 x 10^8 m/s, what is its speed in water (n

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Question: If the speed of light in a vacuum is 3 x 10^8 m/s, what is its speed in water (n = 1.33)?

Options:

Correct Answer: 2.26 x 10^8 m/s

Solution:

The speed of light in a medium is given by v = c/n. Thus, v = (3 x 10^8 m/s) / 1.33 ≈ 2.26 x 10^8 m/s.

If the speed of light in a vacuum is 3 x 10^8 m/s, what is its speed in water (n = 1.33)?

If the speed of light in a vacuum is 3 x 10^8 m/s, what is its speed in water (n = 1.33)?

Step 1: Understand that the speed of light in a vacuum is 3 x 10^8 meters per second (m/s).
Step 2: Know that when light travels through a medium like water, its speed changes based on the medium's refractive index (n).
Step 3: The formula to find the speed of light in a medium is v = c/n, where v is the speed of light in the medium, c is the speed of light in a vacuum, and n is the refractive index.
Step 4: In this case, the refractive index of water is given as n = 1.33.
Step 5: Substitute the values into the formula: v = (3 x 10^8 m/s) / 1.33.
Step 6: Perform the division: 3 x 10^8 m/s divided by 1.33 gives approximately 2.26 x 10^8 m/s.
Step 7: Conclude that the speed of light in water is approximately 2.26 x 10^8 m/s.

Speed of Light in Different Media – Understanding how the speed of light changes when it passes through different materials, using the refractive index.