How long does it take light to travel through a 2.7 mm-thick piece of window glass?
To determine how long it takes light to travel through a 2.7 mm-thick piece of window glass, we need to consider the speed of light in glass.
The speed of light in a medium, such as glass, is generally slower than its speed in a vacuum, which is approximately 299,792,458 meters per second (m/s). The speed of light in glass can vary depending on the type of glass, its composition, and temperature.
However, we can estimate the speed of light in glass to be roughly 200,000,000 meters per second (m/s), which is a commonly accepted value for glass.
Now, to calculate the time it takes for light to travel through the 2.7 mm-thick glass, we can use the formula:
Time = Distance / Speed
In this case, the distance is the thickness of the glass, which is 2.7 mm. To convert this to meters, we divide it by 1000:
Distance = 2.7 mm / 1000 = 0.0027 m
Plugging in the values into the formula:
Time = 0.0027 m / 200,000,000 m/s
Calculating:
Time = 1.35 x 10^(-11) seconds
Therefore, light would take approximately 1.35 x 10^(-11) seconds (or 13.5 picoseconds) to travel through a 2.7 mm-thick piece of window glass.