1. What is Refractive Index?

The refractive index (n) of a medium is a measure of how much the speed of light is reduced inside the medium compared to its speed in a vacuum. It determines how much light bends when entering the material.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the refractive index equation:

Where:

• \( n \) — Refractive index (dimensionless)
• \( c \) — Speed of light in vacuum (299,792,458 m/s)
• \( v \) — Speed of light in the medium (m/s)

Explanation: The refractive index indicates how much slower light travels in a medium compared to vacuum. Higher values mean greater slowing of light.

3. Importance of Refractive Index

Details: Refractive index is crucial in optics for lens design, fiber optics, and understanding light-matter interactions. It helps predict how light will bend at material interfaces.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the speed of light in vacuum (typically 299,792,458 m/s) and the speed in the medium. Both values must be positive numbers.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is the refractive index of air?
A: Approximately 1.0003 at standard temperature and pressure.

Q2: What materials have the highest refractive index?
A: Diamond has n≈2.42, while some specialized materials can go higher.

Q3: Can refractive index be less than 1?
A: Normally no, as light can't travel faster than in vacuum. However, in some special cases with anomalous dispersion, effective index can appear <1.

Q4: How does refractive index vary with wavelength?
A: Most materials exhibit dispersion - refractive index decreases with increasing wavelength (normal dispersion).

Q5: What's the relationship between refractive index and angle of refraction?
A: Snell's Law relates them: n₁sinθ₁ = n₂sinθ₂, where θ are the angles of incidence and refraction.