Refractive Index of Water

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This is one of a set of almost 40 diagrams exploring Rainbows.

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Description

Refractive Index of Water

TRY SOME QUICK QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS TO GET STARTED
Is chromatic dispersion the result of refraction?
Yes! Light separates into different colours during the course of refraction.
How is chromatic dispersion related to refraction?
Every wavelength of light is affected to a different degree by the refractive index of a material and as a result changes direction by a different amount when passing from one medium (such as air) to another (such as glass or water).
What happens when light undergoes refraction?
As light travels from a fast medium such as air to a slow medium such as water it bends toward 'the normal' and slows down. As light passes from a slow medium such as diamond to a faster medium such as glass it bends away from 'the normal' and speeds up.
Does light undergo chromatic dispersion as it enters a raindrop?
Yes! Chromatic dispersion takes place as light crosses the boundary between one transparent medium and another if it has a different refractive index.
Does light undergo refraction as it travels across the boundary between one transparent medium into another?
Yes! When light leaves a vacuum or travels from one transparent medium into another, it undergoes refraction causing it to change both direction and speed.

About the diagram

About wavelength
About refractive index
About colour

Some key terms

Index of refraction

The refractive index (index of refraction) of a medium measures how much the speed of light is reduced when it passes through a medium compared to its speed in a vacuum.

  • Refractive index (or, index of refraction) is a measurement of how much the speed of light is reduced when it passes through a medium compared to the speed of light in a vacuum.
  • The concept of refractive index applies to the full electromagnetic spectrum, from gamma-rays to radio waves.
  • The refractive index can vary with the wavelength of the light being refracted. This phenomenon is called dispersion, and it is what causes white light to split into its constituent colours when it passes through a prism.
  • The refractive index of a material can be affected by various factors such as temperature, pressure, and density.
Refraction

Refraction refers to the way that electromagnetic radiation (light) changes speed and direction as it travels across the boundary between one transparent medium and another.

  • Light bends towards the normal and slows down when it moves from a fast medium (like air) to a slower medium (like water).
  • Light bends away from the normal and speeds up when it moves from a slow medium (like diamond) to a faster medium (like glass).
  • These phenomena are governed by Snell’s law, which describes the relationship between the angles of incidence and refraction.
  • The refractive index (index of refraction) of a medium indicates how much the speed and direction of light are altered when travelling in or out of a medium.
  • It is calculated by dividing the speed of light in a vacuum by the speed of light in the material.
  • Snell’s law relates the angles of incidence and refraction to the refractive indices of the two media involved.
  • Snell’s law states that the ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the angle of refraction is equal to the ratio of the refractive indices.
Refractive index

The refractive index (index of refraction) of a medium measures how much the speed of light is reduced when it passes through a medium compared to its speed in a vacuum.

  • Refractive index (or, index of refraction) is a measurement of how much the speed of light is reduced when it passes through a medium compared to the speed of light in a vacuum.
  • The concept of refractive index applies to the full electromagnetic spectrum, from gamma-rays to radio waves.
  • The refractive index can vary with the wavelength of the light being refracted. This phenomenon is called dispersion, and it is what causes white light to split into its constituent colours when it passes through a prism.
  • The refractive index of a material can be affected by various factors such as temperature, pressure, and density.

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