Does Light Bend or Slow Down Due to Gravity and Medium Interactions?

[billw_willy]

I'm a newbee here and have read some of the posts about light photons having no mass. I have a question/comments that need to be verified.
I received an answer a few years ago about "bending" or reflecting of light and of "slowing down" of light in other than a "pure" vacuum.
The answers stated that light does not actually slow down or bend around massive objects, instead the space around massive objects is bent by the gravity of the object and that light travels only in straight lines and maintains velocity.
The answer continued with the explanation that light is not actually bent (in water) or reflected (mirrors), that as light photons hit any object (atoms in water, metals in mirrors) the photons exchanges light energy for mass and the masses hit generates photons directed in other directions.
Are these reasonable explanations for the phenomenon?

 

[granpa]

are you aware of how electric fields are excluded from the interior of condictors?

 

[astrokreng]

I would like to clarify and verify some of the statements made in this post. First, it is correct that light photons have no mass. They are particles of electromagnetic energy, and therefore do not have a physical mass like other particles such as electrons or protons.

With regards to the bending or slowing down of light, it is important to understand the concept of spacetime curvature. According to Einstein's theory of general relativity, massive objects such as planets, stars, and galaxies can bend the fabric of spacetime. This means that light traveling through this curved spacetime will appear to "bend" as it follows the curvature.

However, it is not accurate to say that light itself is bending. Light always travels in a straight line in a vacuum, but its path appears curved due to the curvature of spacetime. This is known as gravitational lensing and has been observed in many astronomical phenomena.

Additionally, the statement about light exchanging energy for mass when interacting with objects is not supported by scientific evidence. Light can be absorbed or scattered by objects, but it does not exchange energy for mass in these interactions.

In the case of light traveling through a medium such as water or glass, its speed is indeed slower compared to its speed in a vacuum. This is because the particles in the medium interact with the light, causing it to slow down. However, this does not involve any exchange of energy for mass.

In conclusion, the explanations provided in the post may not be accurate and should be verified with scientific evidence. It is important to understand the fundamental principles of physics, such as the nature of light and the concept of spacetime curvature, to accurately explain phenomena such as light velocity and direction.