Basic Optics Discipline: Education RefractionLight travels through a vacuum at its maximum speed of about 3.0 × 108 m/s, and in a straight path. Light travels at slower speeds through different materials, such as glass or air. (A material through which light travels is called a medium, plural media.) When traveling from one medium to another, some light will be reflected at the surface of the new medium.Tags: seeingfield of viewlight rayreflectionrefration