Science glossary film: Refractive index

Refractive index

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A measure of the speed of light in a medium, defined as the ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum, to its speed in the medium under consideration.

A measure of the speed of light in a medium, defined as the ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum, to its speed in the medium under consideration. So, if the refractive index of a piece of glass is 1.5, it means that light travels 1.5 times as fast in a vacuum as in the glass.

So, if the refractive index of a piece of glass is 1.5, it means that light travels 1.5 times as fast in a vacuum as in the glass.

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