question on light

[jerryyu]

when light slows down in a glass tube, will its wavelengths change or stay the same?

 

since light slows down in a glass/a different medium, shouldn't its wavelengths changes accordingly to it?

[swansont]

The wavelength in a medium is lambda/n, where n is the index of refraction

[ajb]

Just to add to what swansont has said:

 

The refractive index can be understood as

 

[math]n = \frac{\textnormal{speed of light in vacuum}}{\textnormal{speed of light in medium}}[/math].

 

For pyrex we have [math]n= 1.474[/math], for common glasses [math]n = 1.52-1.62[/math].

 

You can now explore this with some numerical examples.

[emrekanca]

According to formula Speed=frequancy*wavelengt

frequancy is fixed and glass decreases the speed.

So wavelenght will be decreased.

Edited September 28, 2010 by emrekanca