How light travels
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Evolution and inheritance
Light
Explainer Video
Summary
How light travels
In a nutshell
Light travels very quickly in straight lines. It is needed in order for us to see. Light does not need a material to travel through, it can travel in a vacuum.
How light travels
Light will always travel in straight lines until it interacts with a different object. This means that light cannot bend round corners by itself without interacting with another object first. This is why you cannot see around corners.
Light travels extremely quickly and travels at the same speed all across the universe. Currently light is the fastest moving thing in the universe.
Unlike sound, light does not need a material to travel through. This means light can travel through a vacuum. A vacuum is a space where there is no material. An example of this is outer space.
This is fortunate because if light couldn't travel through a vacuum, then the light from the Sun would never reach the Earth. This means that there would be no life!
Curiosity: It takes light to travel from the Sun to the Earth.
FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions
Can light go around corners?
Light cannot bend around corners or go around objects by itself as it always travels in a straight line.
How fast does light travel?
Light travels extremely quickly and travels at the same speed all across the universe. Currently light is the fastest moving thing in the known universe.
What is a vacuum?
A vacuum is a space where there is no material. An example of this is outer space.