What is the relationship between the speed of the electromagnetic wave and the density of the medium (or the mass in a given volume) in which the electromagnetic wave travels?
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The more stuff in one unit of that medium, the more particles the wave bumps into. So the wave will take more time to pass through, compared to a vacuum, where the wave could just go straight(the shortest way).
Also, it depends on various factors, like temperature, compression, etc.
One important thing to note is that the speed of the wave is a constant c = 299,792,458 m / s in the perspective of the particles, just that it takes longer for it to pass through the medium.
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