When it comes to light passing through objects I wasnt sure if the light actually passes between the atoms or if it is absorbed by the atoms and is then emitted by the atoms in sequence until its passes through it entirely. Why else would lights speed slow in various mediums?
Similarly, when light is reflected, are the photons actually bouncing off the atoms, or are they being absorbed and emitted back at the same angle?
If they are, why do atoms shoot the photons off at the same angle opposed to a random one?
In: Physics
They bounce. And the higher the index of refraction is for that material, the more times it bounces, which is why the “speed of light” is slower in materials with a high index of refraction
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