Theoretical Physics [OT thread]

[a philistine]

quote:

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Originally posted by jimbob55:
The speed of light is a constant. The speed of light depends on the media through which the light is travelling... So it's a variable constant?

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The speed of light (actually any electromagnetic radiation: radio waves, x-rays, gamma rays, etc.) in a vacuum is a constant (roughly 3x10^8 m/s) and that is what the "c" refers to in such equations as E=mc^2.

The speed that light travels is lower than c in various media (e.g. water, atmosphere, glass).

--A Philistine

[Husky65]

quote:

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Originally posted by a philistine:
The speed of light (actually any electromagnetic radiation: radio waves, x-rays, gamma rays, etc.) in a vacuum is a constant (roughly 3x10^8 m/s) and that is what the "c" refers to in such equations as E=mc^2.

The speed that light travels is lower than c in various media (e.g. water, atmosphere, glass).

--A Philistine

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Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't light made to go faster than c quite recently (quite odd concept, light travelling faster than the speed of light..)

[Derek]

You're not wrong. Read the rest of this thread, and the answer you seek, you shall find.


Derek

[Suicide Junkie]

Nobody ever said that the magnet thing would be easy.

But the field would be uniform, and it magnetizes your atoms, not organs, or whatnot. All your atoms would be pulled with the same force, as long as the field is uniform. (otherwise, that frog would have been mush)

[This message has been edited by suicide_junkie (edited 02 March 2001).]