Refractive index is the ratio of the speed of light in a medium to that in vacuum. It determines how light bends, reflects, and disperses when entering a medium, and varies with wavelength and material. What is Refractive Index : The refractive index (also denoted by the symbol 'n') of a material is a dimensionless number that represents how much light bends or refracts when it travels through that material compared to its speed in a vacuum. Refractive Index is a property of any material which is used to define the ratio between the speed of light in a medium to the speed in a vacuum. It is denoted by the symbol μ. When travelling in a medium other than the vacuum light particles are absorbed and re-emit by the medium which slows down the speed of light. Let's discuss the refractive index and its application and others in detail in this article. Refraction of Light It sometimes appears or observed that when the light rays are ... In other words, the refractive index measures how much a light beam bends at the interface when it passes through one medium then incident at an angle at the interface and then passes into another. It is determined by Snell's law. Absolute refractive index The refractive index is determined using two distinct mediums. However, when one of the two media is regarded as a vacuum, the refractive index of the second medium with respect to the first medium (i.e., vacuum) is referred to as the ...
