If light travels from air (n=1) into water (n=1.33), what happens to its speed?

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Question: If light travels from air (n=1) into water (n=1.33), what happens to its speed?

Options:

Correct Answer: It decreases

Solution:

The speed of light decreases when it enters a medium with a higher refractive index.

If light travels from air (n=1) into water (n=1.33), what happens to its speed?

If light travels from air (n=1) into water (n=1.33), what happens to its speed?

Step 1: Understand that light travels at different speeds in different materials.
Step 2: Know that the speed of light in a vacuum is the fastest, and it is about 299,792 kilometers per second.
Step 3: Learn about the refractive index (n), which tells us how much light slows down in a material. Air has a refractive index of 1, and water has a refractive index of 1.33.
Step 4: Realize that a higher refractive index means light travels slower in that material.
Step 5: Since water has a higher refractive index (1.33) than air (1), the speed of light will decrease when it enters the water.

Refraction and Speed of Light – When light travels from one medium to another, its speed changes based on the refractive indices of the two media.