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Chemomechanics t1_j8rqj4n wrote

Reply to comment by juansinmiedo in Does refracting light impart momentum onto the object that is refracting it, for the duration of the refraction? by TheFeshy

As I recall, the energy is split between absorption, reflection, and refraction. The frequency of the light wave stays the same; its speed changes. Remember that we’re talking about light interacting with matter, rather than lone photons in a vacuum.

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thickener t1_j8rw9kz wrote

This answer got me wondering, if a photon could somehow enter an atmosphere, pass through water, then head back into the vacuum of space, does it “re-accelerate” to “full” lightspeed? How does that work?

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Chemomechanics t1_j8s6uup wrote

No one thing is decelerating or accelerating. The photon–matter interaction propagates slower than c.

See the discussion here and the links within, for example.

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