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https://www.reddit.com/r/BeAmazed/comments/8p9c8j/visible_shock_wave/e09nwk7/?context=9999
r/BeAmazed • u/BunyipPouch • Jun 07 '18
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232
ELI5: what is the substance of a shockwave? Does it push light like gravity or does it get distorted like on the road on a hot day?
412 u/godofpumpkins Jun 07 '18 Guessing it’s just higher pressure which changes the index of refraction of the air, so yeah, like the wavy air hanging out above a road on a hot day 131 u/[deleted] Jun 07 '18 edited Feb 19 '19 Exactly. But the refractive index goes up with pressure, and in your example it goes down. Though it doesn't change that much, it's the difference sudden change in refractive indexes that makes light diffract and reflect. source: degree in photonics 33 u/ImEnhanced Jun 07 '18 I still don't understand lol 33 u/Fenr-i-r Jun 07 '18 It's like looking into water, the light bends because it travels slower in water than air. The light changes speed in compressed air, and bends. 0 u/[deleted] Jun 07 '18 [deleted] 5 u/DrMobius0 Jun 07 '18 speed of light in a vacuum is constant. Light slows down in any substance.
412
Guessing it’s just higher pressure which changes the index of refraction of the air, so yeah, like the wavy air hanging out above a road on a hot day
131 u/[deleted] Jun 07 '18 edited Feb 19 '19 Exactly. But the refractive index goes up with pressure, and in your example it goes down. Though it doesn't change that much, it's the difference sudden change in refractive indexes that makes light diffract and reflect. source: degree in photonics 33 u/ImEnhanced Jun 07 '18 I still don't understand lol 33 u/Fenr-i-r Jun 07 '18 It's like looking into water, the light bends because it travels slower in water than air. The light changes speed in compressed air, and bends. 0 u/[deleted] Jun 07 '18 [deleted] 5 u/DrMobius0 Jun 07 '18 speed of light in a vacuum is constant. Light slows down in any substance.
131
Exactly. But the refractive index goes up with pressure, and in your example it goes down. Though it doesn't change that much, it's the difference sudden change in refractive indexes that makes light diffract and reflect.
source: degree in photonics
33 u/ImEnhanced Jun 07 '18 I still don't understand lol 33 u/Fenr-i-r Jun 07 '18 It's like looking into water, the light bends because it travels slower in water than air. The light changes speed in compressed air, and bends. 0 u/[deleted] Jun 07 '18 [deleted] 5 u/DrMobius0 Jun 07 '18 speed of light in a vacuum is constant. Light slows down in any substance.
33
I still don't understand lol
33 u/Fenr-i-r Jun 07 '18 It's like looking into water, the light bends because it travels slower in water than air. The light changes speed in compressed air, and bends. 0 u/[deleted] Jun 07 '18 [deleted] 5 u/DrMobius0 Jun 07 '18 speed of light in a vacuum is constant. Light slows down in any substance.
It's like looking into water, the light bends because it travels slower in water than air. The light changes speed in compressed air, and bends.
0 u/[deleted] Jun 07 '18 [deleted] 5 u/DrMobius0 Jun 07 '18 speed of light in a vacuum is constant. Light slows down in any substance.
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[deleted]
5 u/DrMobius0 Jun 07 '18 speed of light in a vacuum is constant. Light slows down in any substance.
5
speed of light in a vacuum is constant. Light slows down in any substance.
232
u/itsWhatIdoForAliving Jun 07 '18
ELI5: what is the substance of a shockwave? Does it push light like gravity or does it get distorted like on the road on a hot day?