University Physics with Modern Physics (14th Edition)

Published by Pearson
ISBN 10: 0321973615
ISBN 13: 978-0-32197-361-0

Chapter 33 - The Nature and Propagation of Light - Problems - Discussion Questions - Page 1104: Q33.1

Answer

No.

Work Step by Step

The index of refraction of air is about 1.0003 (page 1084), so light travels nearly as fast in air as it does in vacuum. Moreover, the height of the Earth’s atmosphere is nearly negligible compared to the distance between the sun and the Earth. The tiny delay time added by the presence of air is negligible compared to 8 minutes.
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