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Science Forum Index » Physics - Electromagnetic Forum » Heat haze - why?
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| Havatcha |
 Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 7:23 am |
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Or, more pertinently, why is the speed of light in air dependent upon
the temperature of the air? What is the nature of the interaction
between the photons and the gas molecules or electrons therein? |
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| Will C |
| Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 6:08 am |
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On Sep 3, 8:23 pm, Havatcha <nos...@for.me> wrote:
Quote: Or, more pertinently, why is the speed of light in air dependent upon
the temperature of the air? What is the nature of the interaction
between the photons and the gas molecules or electrons therein?
Temperature in the air will affect the atoms and molecules kinetic
energy level, and movement. Thus, alter the pressure and density
level. Might it be the total limitation for the photons travel across
the medium lesser if the air less dense.
Correct me if i'm wrong. Thanks! |
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| Havatcha |
| Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 9:27 am |
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Will C wrote:
Quote: On Sep 3, 8:23 pm, Havatcha <nos...@for.me> wrote:
Or, more pertinently, why is the speed of light in air dependent upon
the temperature of the air? What is the nature of the interaction
between the photons and the gas molecules or electrons therein?
Temperature in the air will affect the atoms and molecules kinetic
energy level, and movement. Thus, alter the pressure and density
level. Might it be the total limitation for the photons travel across
the medium lesser if the air less dense.
Correct me if i'm wrong. Thanks!
Dunno, might be something like that. Does light travel slower in
compressed air, assuming a constant temperature? |
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| Benj |
| Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 1:53 pm |
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Havatcha wrote:
Quote: Or, more pertinently, why is the speed of light in air dependent upon
the temperature of the air? What is the nature of the interaction
between the photons and the gas molecules or electrons therein?
In "modern" physics there are always two models of things. In the
classical model the speed of light simply depends upon the dielectric
constant of the medium through which it is traveling. In the
corpuscular model the light particles interact in some unspecified way
with the molecules of the medium and if a gas presumably deflect the
corpuscles. the zig zag path is clearly longer than than the straight
path of empty space hence the velocity appears to be slower even
though speed along the zigs of the path is c. |
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| Timo A. Nieminen |
| Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 3:09 pm |
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On Tue, 4 Sep 2007, Havatcha wrote:
Quote: Will C wrote:
On Sep 3, 8:23 pm, Havatcha <nos...@for.me> wrote:
Or, more pertinently, why is the speed of light in air dependent upon
the temperature of the air? What is the nature of the interaction
between the photons and the gas molecules or electrons therein?
Temperature in the air will affect the atoms and molecules kinetic
energy level, and movement. Thus, alter the pressure and density
level. Might it be the total limitation for the photons travel across
the medium lesser if the air less dense.
Correct me if i'm wrong. Thanks!
Dunno, might be something like that. Does light travel slower in compressed
air, assuming a constant temperature?
Yes. It's the air molecules that slow the light down. Have twice the
density of molecules, have twice the slowing down.
You can use this to measure the density of air.
The temperature has, for practical purposes, no effect on the refractive
index other than by changing the density.
--
Timo Nieminen - Home page: http://www.physics.uq.edu.au/people/nieminen/
E-prints: http://eprint.uq.edu.au/view/person/Nieminen,_Timo_A..html
Shrine to Spirits: http://www.users.bigpond.com/timo_nieminen/spirits.html |
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