Exploring Time Dilation in Glass: The Effect of Light Speed on Time Perception

[cucumber]

probably a stupid question, but that's what I'm there for...

if light travels slower through glass than through air or vacuum, would time be going slower for me if i were sitting in a block of glass??


thanks.
cucumber.

 

[jcsd]

No, it's the speed of light in a vacuum that matter's in relativity (infact you can completely forget about c being the speed of light in a vacuum as that is really just one of the physical values that it relates to) and not the speed of light through some medium.

 

[GSXR750]

No question is ever stupid, cucumber! And that's a great question to explore. The theory of time dilation suggests that time can appear to move slower or faster depending on the speed at which an object is moving. In the case of light traveling through different mediums, the speed of light is actually constant, but it appears to move slower in materials like glass due to the interaction of the light with the molecules in the material. So, in theory, if you were sitting in a block of glass, time would appear to move slightly slower for you compared to someone outside of the glass. However, the effect would be extremely small and likely not noticeable in everyday life. It's an interesting concept to think about, though! Keep exploring and asking questions.