Concept explainers
Very short pulses of red light and blue light enter a glass block normal to its surface at the same time. Which pulse exits first?
To Explain: The pulse which exits the glass first.
Explanation of Solution
Introduction:
The light interacts with the materials and that interaction depends on the wavelength of the light. Different colours of light travel at different speeds.
Explanation:
Slower speeds of light in the glass make the light bend more. This phenomenon is called dispersion. The glass has a higher refractive index for the blue light than the red light.
So, the red-light travels with the higher speed as compared to that of blue light. Therefore, the red-light pulse exits first.
Conclusion:
The red light exits first because it has low energy.
Chapter 29 Solutions
Conceptual Physics: The High School Physics Program
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