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Apr 24, 2017 · The question of how light travels through space is one of the perennial mysteries of physics. In modern explanations, it is a wave phenomenon that doesn't need a medium through which to propagate. According to quantum theory, it also behaves as a collection of particles under certain circumstances. For most macroscopic purposes, though, its behavior can be described by treating it as a wave ...
Light is a form of energy. It can come from many sources, for example: glow sticks. Some animals, such as fireflies and glow-worms, are also light sources. They make their own light to attract ...
Aug 12, 2012 · And so, that suggests there is no medium through which light travels. Dominic - This has to do with two theories of physics called quantum mechanics and special relativity. And the question that was troubling physicists about 100 years ago was whether light is a particle or a wave. The problem is, you can describe some properties of light as ...
Refraction is a bending of light that occurs when light travels through different media. Because of the principle of least time, light will bend when it travels from one transparent medium into another. For example, light will bend when it travels from air to a medium such as water or plastic where the speed of light is slower than it is in ...
There are three ways in which light can travel from a source to another location (Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\)). It can come directly from the source through empty space, such as from the Sun to Earth. Or light can travel through various media, such as air and glass, to the observer. Light can also arrive after being reflected, such as by a mirror.
As light travels through a given medium, it travels in a straight line. However, when light passes from one medium into a second medium, the light path bends. Refraction takes place. The refraction occurs only at the boundary. Once the light has crossed the boundary between the two media, it continues to travel in a straight line.
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Is there a medium through which light travels?
Why does light travel in a straight line?
Why does light bend when it travels from one transparent medium to another?
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How does light travel through space?
How does light travel from one point to another?
Light can travel through empty space. Unlike sound, which needs a medium (like air or water) to travel through, light can travel in the vacuum of space. Light travels in straight lines. Once light has been produced, it will keep travelling in a straight line until it hits something else. Shadows are evidence of light travelling in straight ...
