Would light move faster if it didn't travel in zig-zaging waves?

Question

Hmm... I don't need to know. I just want to know what you think.

Answer 1

i don't think so.

because it doesn't have momentum. but if you mean it would arrive somewhere faster you are right but its not the speed that had change that was the distance.

i hope it helped

Answer 2

If you talk about the lights that human can see, violet light is a bit faster than other color light. Red light is the slowest one.

Answer 3

sorry to disillusion you but light travels in straight lines.

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Answer 4

Light is a wave yes, but it does not travel in "zig-zaging waves".

The 'zig-zag' you are referring to is the displacement of oscillating magnetic and electric fields.  However, this occurs perpendicular to the direction that the wave is propagating.

The speed of light depends on two physical parameters: the magnetic constant and the electric constant.  If you could some how reduce one or both of these values, then the speed of light would increase.

Answer 5

Just to answer lee26loo for a second:

All different colours of light travel at exactly the same speed - you're referring to the speed when an external object such as a prism is used, but that's skewing the question.

Velocity of light = Frequency x Wavelength

Frequency of red light < Frequency of violet light, yes ...BUT

Wavelength of red light > Wavelength of violet light

The result?  Velocity of both colours is the same, c.

Remember that you need to remove external influences to properly measure it, or at least take into account the influences and correct for them!

Fire a violet laser and a red laser into space, bounce the beams off the reflectors on the Moon left by the Apollo missions, for example, and watch in amazement as they both arrive back at the same time.