Understanding the Concept

* Speed of Light: Light travels at different speeds in different mediums. It travels fastest in a vacuum (approximately 299,792,458 meters per second), denoted as 'c'.

* Refractive Index: The refractive index (n) of a material tells us how much slower light travels in that material compared to a vacuum.

Calculations

1. Find the Refractive Index of Glass: The refractive index of glass varies depending on the type of glass. A typical value is around 1.5.

2. Calculate the Speed of Light in Glass:

* Speed of light in glass (v) = Speed of light in vacuum (c) / Refractive index (n)

* v = c / n = 299,792,458 m/s / 1.5 ≈ 199,861,639 m/s

3. Calculate the Time to Travel 1 Meter in Vacuum:

* Time (t) = Distance (d) / Speed (c)

* t = 1.0 m / 299,792,458 m/s ≈ 3.34 x 10^-9 seconds

4. Calculate the Distance Traveled in Glass in the Same Time:

* Distance in glass (d') = Speed in glass (v) * Time (t)

* d' = 199,861,639 m/s * 3.34 x 10^-9 s ≈ 0.667 meters

Answer: Light travels approximately 0.667 meters in glass during the time it takes to travel 1.0 meter in a vacuum.