IG Phy – Refraction of Light and Refractive Index

The bending of light as it passes through different mediums is known as refraction.

Light waves speed up when they travel from air into glass.

The angle of incidence is the angle between the incident light ray and the normal to the surface in the air.

Light rays bend away from the normal when they travel out of glass into the air.

The refractive index can be calculated using the formula n=sinrsini​.

The refractive index of air is exactly 1.

A higher refractive index means that light travels faster in that material.

When light enters a denser medium at an angle, it bends towards the normal.

The angle of refraction is always smaller than the angle of incidence when light enters a denser medium.

The refractive index of diamond is 2.4.

Light does not bend when it passes through a glass block with parallel sides.

The formula for refractive index can also be defined as the ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum to the speed of light in the material.

The speed of light in glass with a refractive index of 1.5 is 200,000,000 m/s.

The angle of refraction can be greater than the angle of incidence when light travels from a denser to a less dense medium.