What is the index of refraction?

Answer 1

The index of refraction of a material is a ratio that compares the speed of light in a vacuum (#c = 3.00 x 10^8 m/s#) to the speed of light in that particular medium.

It can be calculated, if one knows the speed of light in that medium, using the formula

As the index of refraction increases, the amount that the material bends the light increases.

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Answer 2

Leo Abeyta

The index of refraction (n) of a material is a measure of how much light slows down when it travels through that material compared to its speed in a vacuum. It is defined as the ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum to the speed of light in the material.

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Answer from HIX Tutor

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.