Abstract
The Compton scattering in a dielectric medium is adopted. We have found that the momentum and energy of the photon inside the medium are related by the formula E' = ncp', where n is the refractive index of the medium. This formula is shown to stem from the invariance of the Einstein relativity relation, p = v(E/c(2)) inside and outside the medium. The Minkowski and Abraham models of refractive index p' = nE/c and p' = E/(nc), respectively, require that E' = E and E' = n(2)E, respectively. The former model treated the photon as a wave (massless) and the latter treated the photon as a particle (matter) with an effective mass. The Snell's law is obtained by further imposing that the horizontal component of the light momentum remains the same. (C) 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.