Spencer Heath Archive

Item 1501

Carbon of letter from Heath to The Editors, Scientific American, 2 West 45th Street, New York 36, New York

December 2, 1953

 

 

 

Gentlemen:

     As a subscriber and constant reader I have found the answers to many interesting questions given authori­tatively in your excellent articles and contributions. I trust therefore that it is not amiss for me as a mere intelligent layman to invite authoritative answer to the following questions concerning the velocity of light waves.

     It is assumed that velocity is a ratio between the dimension of length and the dimension of time. This ratio, as the velocity of light waves, is taken as re­ferring to their rectilinear motion and to express the relation between motion and time.

     Is it not true that light waves exhibit also motion other than rectilinear, motion that is transverse to its right line direction as shown by interference, polari­zation, and so forth? If light waves thus do have motion that is transverse as well as rectilinear, must they not also have transverse velocity (or velocities) as well as their rectilinear velocity? If so, how many different velocities do or can light waves have?

     In view of the velocity of light being regarded as

absolute and fundamental, I assume that the above serious question will not be regarded as impertinent to the field of physical reality.

Sincerely yours,

SH:sm