Index of refraction

Index of refraction

A measure of how much a substance reduces the speed of light waves passing through it. The index of refraction (or refractive index) of a substance equals the ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum to its speed in that substance. Lenses or materials with a high index of refraction slow down and refract (bend) light more than materials with a lower refractive index.

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Category: Optometry
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index of refraction

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Symbol, n . The ratio v 1/ v 2, where v 1 is the speed of energy propagation in the first medium through which the energy passes, and v 2 is the speed in the second medium.

index of refraction (n)

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Ratio of the wavelength or velocity of electromagnetic radiation in a vacuum to that in a substance.

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A measure of how much a substance reduces the speed of light waves passing through it. The index of refraction (or refractive index) of a substance equals the ratio of the speed ...

index of refraction

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The ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum to the speed of light in a material.

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Ratio of the velocity of light in one medium to its velocity in a second medium as the light passes from medium to medium. If a medium is crystalline, the velocity may depend on ...

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A number n found by dividing the velocity of light in a vacuum c by the velocity of light in a transparent substance. Isometric crystals are isotropic and have one index of ...

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