Speed of radio wave is faster than speed of gamma wave, right?

In summary: This is because the water droplets have a higher refractive index than the air and the waves of light are scattered more than once. This is why you see a rainbow in different parts of the sky.
  • #1
7bear
18
0
In other medium except vacuum, there is different speed in different EM wave, right?
i.e. speed of radio wave is faster than speed of gamma wave, right?
 
Science news on Phys.org
  • #2
Pretty bare bones question.

The bare bones answer is, No.
 
  • #3
7bear said:
In other medium except vacuum, there is different speed in different EM wave, right?
i.e. speed of radio wave is faster than speed of gamma wave, right?

Actually, the answer is yes.

In a dispersive medium, each frequency will have different speeds. This is because the index of refraction is frequency dependent, typically given as

[tex]n^2 = \frac{c^2k^2}{\omega^2}[/tex]

where k is the wavenumber and [tex]\omega[/tex]is the angular frequency of the light. Now since the speed of light in a medium is defined as

[tex]n = \frac{c}{v}[/tex]

this means that each frequency of light travels with different speeds in the medium.

Zz.
 
  • #4
However at some frequency range there exists also anomalous dispersion (if during the normal dispersion the refraction index is decreasing with the increase of the frequency - in the anomal case it is increasing)
So Integral's answer "No" is also applicable ;)
 
  • #5
hemmul said:
However at some frequency range there exists also anomalous dispersion (if during the normal dispersion the refraction index is decreasing with the increase of the frequency - in the anomal case it is increasing)
So Integral's answer "No" is also applicable ;)

Oy vey.

If we are going to have to consider ALL possible exceptions to the confines of what I think the question is asking, all our answers will be 20 pages long. I can also talk about materials with negative index of refraction, 1 and 2D materials with no well-defined quasiparticles that produce nowhere near the Drude peaks expected in conventional optical conductivity, etc.. etc.

Zz.
 
  • #6
ZapperZ said:
I can also talk about materials with negative index of refraction, 1 and 2D materials with no well-defined quasiparticles that produce nowhere near the Drude peaks expected in conventional optical conductivity, etc.. etc.
Zz.

Sure, but that won't produce any new answers (besides "Yes" and "No") to the original 7bear's question ;)
i just implicitly meant that there is no general "Yes" or "No" answer to the question as is.
 
  • #7
ZapperZ said:
I can also talk about materials with negative index of refraction

[offtop]
do you mean biisotropic media?
[/offtop]
 
  • #8
hemmul said:
Sure, but that won't produce any new answers (besides "Yes" and "No") to the original 7bear's question ;)

Yes there is: DEPENDS [and I don't mean the garment you wear for bladder control problems either!]. Depends is a superposition of "yes" and "no" answers since it can contain both simultaneously. (see, I can be a smart ass too).

And no, negative index of refraction, and left-handed materials are not all "biisotropic media".

Zz.
 
  • #9
7bear really asked two questions. I think an accurate translation of into standard American English would be:

#1 The speed of an EM wave through a material medium is frequency dependent, right?

#2 The speed of radio waves through a material medium is less than the speed of gamma waves.

Integral's answer of "no" is not the correct answer to #1

And I'm pretty sure that gamma waves pass through most materials almost as though they were a vacuum; radio waves certainly don't. So Integral's answer to #2 would be incorrect as well.
 
Last edited:
  • #10
gamma rays do not reach to the ground of our earth(thank you atmosphere and water particles) otherwise wed all be crispy critters thus it is not the gamma ray but of the atmosphere which blocks this wavelength of the electromagnetic spectrum as far as speed all electromagnetic waves move at the same speed period
 
  • #11
Mariko,

"all electromagnetic waves move at the same speed period"


Really? Ever seen a rainbow?
 
  • #12
Mariko said:
as far as speed all electromagnetic waves move at the same speed period

First of all : what is a 'speed period' ?

Secondly : NO, EM-waves do not have the same velocity in a certain medium. The velocity depends on the index of refraction n.

Thirdly : PHOTONS always travel at the speed of light.

regards
marlon
 
Last edited:
  • #13
My only response to this is OPPS!
I am not reading the question the same now, were I able to take it back I would, but it has been quoted way to many times. When I read it now I the answer I get is, Yes.
 
  • #14
jdavel said:
Really? Ever seen a rainbow?

Yes I have and but what does a rainbow have to do with the speed at which a elecctromagnetic wave moves?Interesting i would like to know...Also
I ment that if that medium was space electro magnetic waves would move at the same speed which is the speed of light..And i don't know why mt textbook here says this and yet you all want to tell me that its wrong?
 
  • #15
Mariko said:
Yes I have and but what does a rainbow have to do with the speed at which a elecctromagnetic wave moves?


One single answer : (CHROMATIC) DISPERSION

marlon
 
  • #16
Mariko,

"And i don't know why mt textbook here says this and yet you all want to tell me that its wrong?"

No one here is saying that light speed through empty space depends on frequency. If they did, they'd be wrong.

But the original post in this thread was asking about light speed through "other medium except vacuum". And the speed of EM waves through material media depends on frequency.

This effect in rain drops is what creates a rainbow.
 
  • #17
Yup ok thanks i was not reading the post right and I apologize for that thanks for clearing that up I think ill stick to the question asking side and let you pros do the helping heh
 

FAQ: Speed of radio wave is faster than speed of gamma wave, right?

What is the difference between the speed of radio wave and the speed of gamma wave?

The speed of a wave refers to how fast it travels through a medium. The speed of a radio wave is slower than the speed of a gamma wave. Radio waves travel at the speed of light, which is about 299,792,458 meters per second. Gamma waves, on the other hand, travel at the speed of light squared, which is about 899,875,517,873,681 meters per second.

Why is the speed of a radio wave slower than the speed of a gamma wave?

The speed of a wave is determined by the properties of the medium it travels through. Radio waves travel through air, which has a lower refractive index compared to the vacuum that gamma waves travel through. This means that radio waves are slowed down as they pass through the air, while gamma waves are not affected by the vacuum.

Can the speed of a radio wave ever be faster than the speed of a gamma wave?

No, the speed of a wave is determined by the properties of the medium it travels through. Since gamma waves travel through a vacuum, which has the lowest possible refractive index, their speed cannot be exceeded by any other type of wave.

What are the practical implications of the speed difference between radio waves and gamma waves?

The difference in speed between radio waves and gamma waves has significant practical implications. For example, radio waves are used for communication because they can travel long distances through the atmosphere, while gamma waves are used in medical treatments because of their ability to penetrate through tissues. Understanding the speed difference allows us to use each type of wave for its specific purpose.

How do we measure the speed of radio waves and gamma waves?

The speed of a wave can be measured by calculating the wavelength and frequency of the wave. In the case of radio waves and gamma waves, their speed is also determined by the properties of the medium they travel through. Scientists use precise instruments and mathematical formulas to accurately measure the speed of these waves.

Back
Top