Fermat’s principle states that of all the possible paths the light might take, that satisfy those boundary conditions, light takes the path which requires the shortest time . ... Since the speed of light is the same everywhere along all possible paths, the shortest path requires the shortest time.
Can light travel through all things?
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. ... However, light can also travel within some materials, like glass and water.
Does light take all possible paths?
because photons take all paths , but since their underlying physics is “wavey” different paths can “interfere. This calculation assumes that light simultaneously travels over all possible paths.
What path does light follow?
Whether it is traveling through air, water, glass, diamond, a smoky Broadway stage, or any other transparent substance (or in nothing — the vacuum of space), light travels in a straight path until it encounters a different medium. So straight that analogies fail — the path of light is the Ultimate Straight Line.
What can photons pass through?
Consequently, photons of visible light travel through glass instead of being absorbed or reflected, making glass transparent. At wavelengths smaller than visible light, photons begin to have enough energy to move glass electrons from one energy band to another.
Can you see light in a vacuum?
In a perfect vacuum, not only can you not see light that isn’t traveling toward you, you can’t even see light that is traveling toward you until it actually reaches your eyes . Light must reach your eyes/detectors one way or another – no matter vacuum or not.
Can light travel in a vacuum?
A vacuum is empty space. There are no molecules of air or anything else in a vacuum. Like all forms of electromagnetic waves, light can travel through empty space, as well as through matter.
Why does light take the quickest path?
Fermat’s principle states that of all the possible paths the light might take , that satisfy those boundary conditions, light takes the path which requires the shortest time. ... Since the speed of light is the same everywhere along all possible paths, the shortest path requires the shortest time.
Which is the correct path of light through the eye?
From the cornea, the light passes through the pupil . The iris, or the colored part of your eye, controls the amount of light passing through. From there, it then hits the lens. This is the clear structure inside the eye that focuses light rays onto the retina.
What happens if 2 photons collide?
If two photons head towards each other and they both turn into electron/anti-electron pairs at about the same time, then these particles can interact. ... Each anti-electron collides with an electron, they mutually annihilate and turn back into a new photon.
Is darkness a form of light?
Light exists in many wavelengths we cannot see, but those wavelengths do not constitute ‘darkness’. Something that appears dark in visible light might be giving off light in a wavelength we cannot see. True darkness is the absence of all light , it cannot be transmitted or otherwise moved.
Do photons bounce off of mirrors?
A typical household mirror works like this: Photons (particles of light) bounce off an object or person , hit the mirror, and are absorbed by electrons on the surface of its metal backing. ... This magnetic mirror produces the opposite scenario: a flipped magnetic field and an unchanged electric field.
Can light be destroyed?
6. Photons are easily created and destroyed . Unlike matter, all sorts of things can make or destroy photons. If you’re reading this on a computer screen, the backlight is making photons that travel to your eye, where they are absorbed—and destroyed.
How fast does light travel in a vacuum?
Surprisingly, the answer has nothing to do with the actual speed of light, which is 300,000 kilometers per second ( 186,000 miles per second ) through the “vacuum” of empty space.
What can exist in a vacuum?
Vacuum, space in which there is no matter or in which the pressure is so low that any particles in the space do not affect any processes being carried on there. It is a condition well below normal atmospheric pressure and is measured in units of pressure (the pascal).
Can light travel forever?
Light is made up of particles called photons that travel like waves. Unless they interact with other particles (objects), there is nothing to stop them. ... If it is infinite, the light would travel forever .
