The refractive index of diamond is 2.42. What is the meaning of this statement in relation to the speed of light?


The refractive index of diamond is 2.42. This means that the ratio of the speed of light in air (or vacuum) to that in diamond is equal to 2.42.

Explanation

 In optics, the Refractive index, also called the index of refraction, is the measurement of fast bending rays of light when passing from one medium into another.

It is defined as the velocity of light ‘c’ in the vacuum divided by its velocity ‘v’ in the medium.

$Refractive\ index\ of\ a\ medium$ $=\frac{\text {Speed of light in vacuum}}{\text {Speed of light in medium}}$

Also, given as-

$n=\frac{c}{v}$

where,  n = refractive index, c = speed of light in vacuum and v = the phase velocity of light in the medium.

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Updated on: 10-Oct-2022

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