Every Transparent Material Has a Refractive Index Flashcards
1
Q
What does the refractive index of a transparent material tell you?
A
How fast light travels in that material
2
Q
What is the formula for refractive index?
A
Refractive index = speed of light in a vacuum / speed of light in that material
3
Q
Why is the refractive index of glass high?
A
Light slows down a lot in glass (around 1?5)
4
Q
Why doesn’t light slow down as much in water as in glass?
A
The refractive index of water is a bit lower (around 1.33)
5
Q
Why is the refractive index of air 1.00?
A
The speed of light in air is about the same as in a vacuum
6
Q
According to Snell’s law…
A
The angle of incidence, angle of refraction and refractive index are all linked
7
Q
What does Snell’s law say?
A
When an incident ray passes into a material:
N = sin i / sin r
8
Q
Look at the diagram on page 34
A
Ok
