UPSC Prelims 2001·GS1·science-and-technology·science and technology

When light waves pass from air to glass, the variables affected are

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Last updated 23 May 2026, 3:31 pm IST
  1. AWavelength, frequency and velocity
  2. BVelocity and frequency
  3. CWavelength and frequency
  4. DWavelength and velocityCorrect

Explanation

When light waves travel from one medium to another, such as from air to glass, the frequency remains constant because it is a fundamental property of the light source. However, the speed of light changes because glass is optically denser than air. According to the wave equation, velocity is equal to the product of frequency and wavelength. Since the velocity changes while the frequency stays the same, the wavelength must also change to satisfy the equation. Therefore, only wavelength and velocity are affected when light passes from air to glass.
science-and-technology: When light waves pass from air to glass, the variables affected are

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