

Since the different parts of the spectrum have different wavelengths, their path will be affected differently and the exiting light from the prism will have the visible spectrum spread noticeably. As sunlight, which contains the entire spectrum of visible light, passes through the clear martial of a prism, the light changes velocity and the angle it passes through the medium. The change in the speed of light is also what causes the rainbow effect of sunlight passing through a prism. This may cause astronomical objects to be spread out into a spectrum in high-resolution images. For example in visible light, blue is more affected than red. It affects not only lightrays but all electromagnetic radiation, although in varying degrees (see dispersion in optics). This refraction is due to the velocity of light through air decreasing (the index of refraction increases) with increased density.Ītmospheric refraction causes astronomical objects to appear higher in the sky than they are in reality. This refractive index in turn defines how light bends as it passes through the Earth's atmosphere.Ītmospheric refraction is the deviation of light or other electromagnetic wave from a straight line as it passes through the atmosphere due to the variation in air density as a function of altitude. For example, visible light has a refractive index in air of 1.000293, so the speed of light in air is 299705 km/s or about 88 km/s slower than c. The ratio between c and the speed v at which light travels in a material is called the refractive index n of the material ( n = c / v). The speed at which light propagates through transparent materials, such as glass or air, is less than c. The average time it takes light from our Sun to reach the Earth is approximately 8 minutes and 17 seconds. A light year is the distance light travels in a vacuum in the span of a year. We describe these distances on astronomical scales in terms of light years of distance. Since the speed of light defines the upper bound of travel speed, travel times to distant objects in the universe are generally measured in terms of the speed of light. Use in Defining Astronomical Scale of Distance This is the basis for the premise that nothing can exceed the speed of light. See the relativistic energy equation to see how as the velocity, v, of a mass approaches the speed of light, c, the denominator approaches 0,and thus the equation at v = c is undefined. See electromagnetic wavelength and frequency relationships in the following: The speed of light is the speed at which all electromagnetic waves travel in a vacuum and serves as the linear constant in the relationship between electromagnetic wavelength and frequency. Relationship between Wavelength and Frequency

Speed of Light Squared ( c 2 = 931.46 MeV/u): This is used in Einstein's E = mc 2 equation.Time to Travel from Earth to different locations in space (planets, stars, galaxies) at different velocities including the speed of light.Distance Light Traveled: computes the distance light has traveled in a period of time.KE ≈ m(1+v²/(2c²)-1)c² (Relativistic Kinetic Energy).c² (mass/energy equivalent not at rest).On a lesser scale, there are light-seconds, light-minutes, light-hours and light days in the same vein. A light year is the distance that something traveling at the speed would go in one year. The distances to very far away celestial objects such as stars and galaxies are often given in light years. The speed of light is often used in aerospace and astronomy since space is nearly a perfect vacuum. Theoretically nothing can travel at a speed exceeding the speed of light.

The speed of light (symbol: c) is sometimes known as "light speed". However, this can be automatically converted to other velocity units via the pull-down menu.

This constant is provided in meters per second. The Speed of Light (c) in a vacuum is 299,792,458.0 meters per second (m/s).
