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- In contrast, light waves can travel through a vacuum, and do not require a medium.
van.physics.illinois.edu/ask/listing/21368
How can light (or electromagnetic radiation) travel through a vacuum when there is nothing there to act as a medium, and do so forever in all directions? For example the light coming from a star millions of light years away.
May 2, 2014 · Light may seem to be an exception, leading many to say that light is a wave that can travel through a vacuum with no medium. Light doesn't use EM fields as its medium; light IS an EM (electromagnetic) wave.
In contrast, light waves can travel through a vacuum, and do not require a medium. In empty space, the wave does not dissipate (grow smaller) no matter how far it travels, because the wave is not interacting with anything else.
Dec 25, 2011 · Electric and magnetic fields can exist in a vacuum. When an electric field changes, it creates a changing magnetic field, and vice versa. Oscillations between those fields travel at the speed of light through the vacuum. That's the classical view, which does not involve photons.
May 13, 2003 · Light travels through a vacuum in the form of electromagnetic waves. These waves do not require a medium to propagate, unlike sound waves, which need a medium such as air or water to travel. Therefore, in a vacuum, light can travel at its maximum speed of 299,792,458 meters per second.
Feb 18, 2024 · Q: Why can light travel through space while other forms of energy cannot? A: Light is an electromagnetic wave that does not require a material medium to propagate. This allows it to travel through the vacuum of space without encountering any resistance.
Apr 16, 2005 · No, according to Einstein's theory of relativity, only massless particles such as photons (particles of light) can travel at the speed of light in a vacuum. Any object with mass would require an infinite amount of energy to reach the speed of light.
