Table 9.3.1: Refractive Indexes of Different Mediums
Reference from the original Physics I textbook.
- Table 9.3.1: Refractive Indexes of Different Mediums
- Related Glossary Terms
Refractive Index Equation, Snell's Law↗, Snell's Law Equation
Glossary and deeper reading · 2 refreshers
These editorial refreshers supplement the reading. Definitions and examples are added guidance; original source wording and recorded answers remain in their original context.
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Refractive index
Refractive index is the ratio of light’s speed in vacuum to its speed in the material at the relevant frequency. It is dimensionless and can depend on wavelength. For example, glass usually has a larger refractive index than air, so visible light travels more slowly through the glass.
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Snell’s law
Snell’s law relates the incidence and refraction angles to the refractive indices of two media. Both angles are measured from the normal to the boundary, rather than from the surface. For example, entering a higher-index material at oblique incidence bends a light ray toward the normal.