Why do we say that light travels in straight lines? Is it strictly accurate to say that a laser beam provides a per - fectly straight line for purposes of surveying? Explain.

Step-by-step explanation:

Light is considered to be without mass, but it has energy. According to Einstein, energy can be

equivalently presented as mass. Mass is also affected by gravity, but near planets, this effect is

so small that it can be ignored and so we say that light travels in a straight line.

The above statement does not hold true when light passes near a star. A star possesses a very

high gravity field that bends light such that the change of direction is observed.