what recommendation that it would like to tell us?
2006-10-31 15:49:23 · 4 answers · asked by sakura 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
An index of refraction of any material would like to tell us how much a ray of light would bend in that material, such as water or glass.
As light passes from a vacuum into glass, its direction of travel bends. The exact amount of bending depends on the angle of incidence and the index of refraction of the glass.
2006-10-31 15:58:28 · answer #1 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Light travels at about 186,000 miles per second but only if it is travelling through a vacuum (empty space). If it travels through any other transparent material like water or glass it is slowed down by a certain amount depending largely upon the density of the transparent medium. Light is slowed down when it travels through water, it is slowed down more through glass and even more through diamond. How much it is slowed down as compared to its speed through a vacuum is called that substances index of refraction. Of all common substances the index of refraction is greatest for a diamond. This is why a diamond flashes with brilliant color. When light strikes an object with a higher index of refraction at an angle the light is "bent" or refracted in the direction it was travelling. Different frequencies (color) of light have different energies and are refracted differently. This separates white light into its component colors. This is why a diamond flashes different colors and also how an optical prism works.
2006-11-01 02:46:08 · answer #2 · answered by JimWV 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The index of refraction of a material is a complex number. The real part of the refractive index is the ratio of the speed of light at a particular wavelength in vacuum to the speed of light at that wavelength in the material. For example the refractive index of glass is approximately 1.5 in the visible part of the spectrum. The speed of light in glass is then 1/1.5*c = 2E8 m/s. The refractive index changes with wavelength (dispersion) and generally increases with increasing wavelength.
The imaginary part of the refractive index describes absorption. The real and imaginary parts of the refractive index are related by the Krammers Kronig relation. It is possible in theory to calculate one part of the refractive index from the other, but in practise the data is incomplete so approximations are necessary.
2006-11-01 00:10:26 · answer #3 · answered by d/dx+d/dy+d/dz 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is ratio of speed of light in the mediums
2006-11-01 01:16:30 · answer #4 · answered by soni m 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋