![speed of sound vs speed of light speed of sound vs speed of light](http://blog.soton.ac.uk/soundwaves/files/2013/12/essaiwave.gif)
Is defined by the speed of light in vacuum c divided by the speed The amount by which light slows in a given material is describedīy the index of refraction, n. Travels through different materials, it scatters off of the molecules in That's not to say that nothing ever travels faster than light. Indeed, c is the ultimate speed limit of the universe. Light moving through that box to be exactly c. Whenever light is in a vacuum, its speed has that exact value, no matter who measures it.Įven if the vacuum is inside a box in a rocket traveling away from earth, both an astronaut in the rocket and a hypothetical observer on earth will measure the speed of This vacuum speed of light, c, is what the statements from relativityĭescribe. Light traveling through anything other than a perfect vacuum will scatter off off whatever particles exist, as illustrated below.
![speed of sound vs speed of light speed of sound vs speed of light](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/_aaFGm9uqqo/maxresdefault.jpg)
#Speed of sound vs speed of light full
So a vacuum would not containĪny dust particles (unlike a vacuum cleaner, which is generally full of " NothingĬan travel faster than the speed of light in a vacuum." " LightĪ vacuum always travels at the same speed." ThoseĪdditional three words in a vacuum are very important. Let's add a few words to them to clarify. Have you heard these statements before? They are often quoted as results " Light always travels at the same speed." " Nothing can travel faster than the speed of light." The Speed of Light and the Index of Refraction The Speed of Light and the Index of Refraction