Warp wrote:
> What happens when the photon "hits" a refractive object?
> Why does it "bend" at the surface of the object? Why does
> it seem to go slower through the object?

Because it DOES go slower through the object.  The line is
'nothing travels faster than the speed of light *in a vaccuum*'.
If you pass the light through an object, it isn't going as
fast as in vaccuum.

(refer to
http://www.fnal.gov/pub/inquiring/questions/quesrelativity.html
for other related topics...)

> How, for example, electrons can travel in water faster
> than photons can (ie. why don't electrons collide in the
> same way as photons; electrons are a lot bigger)?

The explanation for that is: electrons don't travel, they're
pushed aside thusly:

-> -> ->e eeeeeeeeeeeeeee

         *thunk*
         eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

          *shove*
          eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

          eeeeeeeeeeeeeee  -> -> ->e
-- 
Tim Cook
http://empyrean.scifi-fantasy.com

-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Version: 3.12
GFA dpu- s: a?-- C++(++++) U P? L E--- W++(+++)>$
N++ o? K- w(+) O? M-(--) V? PS+(+++) PE(--) Y(--)
PGP-(--) t* 5++>+++++ X+ R* tv+ b++(+++) DI
D++(---) G(++) e*>++ h+ !r--- !y--
------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------

Post a reply to this message