Been studying science in college for about 2 years and this simple question has me questioning my own IQ. I understand how light travels through different mediums but photons are particles right? Actually physical particles that can travel through solid blocks of glass?
I dont know if Im just stupid or my teacher doesnt care, this question could keep me up at night.
In: Physics
Great question! To answer it’s actually more interesting to think about the contrary: why doesn’t light go through other materials?
A photon is an electromagnetic wave, and can only interact with charged particles.
In metals, the conductive nature means that the photo interacts with free electrons in the material, which either absorb the photon or mirror it back.
In most other materials the photon is absorbed by the electrons of molecules or atoms, moving the electron into a higher energy state.
In glass, all of the electrons are locked up in bonds and they can’t move enough to interact with the photon, hence it passes through. There’s still some interaction though, which causes light to slow down
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