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The principle behind a fibre optic cable is that light is reflected along the cable until it reaches the other side, like in this diagram:

Fibre optic cable diagram

Although I know that the light is slowed down somewhat because it's not going through air, I've always wondered about another factor: what about the fact that the light path is zig-zagged rather than straight? Doesn't that significantly increase the distance that the light has to travel? If so, by how much does it slow down the speed oftime the light takes to travel through the cable?

The principle behind a fibre optic cable is that light is reflected along the cable until it reaches the other side, like in this diagram:

Fibre optic cable diagram

Although I know that the light is slowed down somewhat because it's not going through air, I've always wondered about another factor: what about the fact that the light path is zig-zagged rather than straight? Doesn't that significantly increase the distance that the light has to travel? If so, by how much does it slow down the speed of light through the cable?

The principle behind a fibre optic cable is that light is reflected along the cable until it reaches the other side, like in this diagram:

Fibre optic cable diagram

Although I know that the light is slowed down somewhat because it's not going through air, I've always wondered about another factor: what about the fact that the light path is zig-zagged rather than straight? Doesn't that significantly increase the distance that the light has to travel? If so, by how much does it slow down the time the light takes to travel through the cable?
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How fast does light travel through a fibre optic cable?

The principle behind a fibre optic cable is that light is reflected along the cable until it reaches the other side, like in this diagram:

Fibre optic cable diagram

Although I know that the light is slowed down somewhat because it's not going through air, I've always wondered about another factor: what about the fact that the light path is zig-zagged rather than straight? Doesn't that significantly increase the distance that the light has to travel? If so, by how much does it slow down the speed of light through the cable?