Definitions for refractive index
re·frac·tive in·dex

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:3.3 / 4 votes

1. refractive index, index of refractionnoun

   the ratio of the velocity of light in a vacuum to that in a medium

WiktionaryRate this definition:2.5 / 2 votes

1. refractive indexnoun

   The ratio of the speed of light in air or vacuum to that in another medium.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Refractive index

   In optics, the refractive index (or refraction index) of an optical medium is a dimensionless number that gives the indication of the light bending ability of that medium. The refractive index determines how much the path of light is bent, or refracted, when entering a material. This is described by Snell's law of refraction, n1 sin θ1 = n2 sin θ2, where θ1 and θ2 are the angle of incidence and angle of refraction, respectively, of a ray crossing the interface between two media with refractive indices n1 and n2. The refractive indices also determine the amount of light that is reflected when reaching the interface, as well as the critical angle for total internal reflection, their intensity (Fresnel's equations) and Brewster's angle.The refractive index can be seen as the factor by which the speed and the wavelength of the radiation are reduced with respect to their vacuum values: the speed of light in a medium is v = c/n, and similarly the wavelength in that medium is λ = λ0/n, where λ0 is the wavelength of that light in vacuum. This implies that vacuum has a refractive index of 1, and assumes that the frequency (f = v/λ) of the wave is not affected by the refractive index. The refractive index may vary with wavelength. This causes white light to split into constituent colors when refracted. This is called dispersion. This effect can be observed in prisms and rainbows, and as chromatic aberration in lenses. Light propagation in absorbing materials can be described using a complex-valued refractive index. The imaginary part then handles the attenuation, while the real part accounts for refraction. For most materials the refractive index changes with wavelength by several percent across the visible spectrum. Nevertheless, refractive indices for materials are commonly reported using a single value for n, typically measured at 633 nm. The concept of refractive index applies across the full electromagnetic spectrum, from X-rays to radio waves. It can also be applied to wave phenomena such as sound. In this case, the speed of sound is used instead of that of light, and a reference medium other than vacuum must be chosen.For lenses (such as eye glasses), a lens made from a high refractive index material will be thinner, and hence lighter, than a conventional lens with a lower refractive index. Such lenses are generally more expensive to manufacture than conventional ones.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. refractive index

   The refractive index, also known as index of refraction, is a physical property of materials that indicates how much light is slowed down or bent as it travels through the material. It is defined as the speed of light in a vacuum divided by the speed of light in the material. Higher refractive indices indicate that light travels slower through the material, resulting in greater bending or refraction.

WikidataRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. Refractive index

   In optics the refractive index or index of refraction n of a substance is a dimensionless number that describes how light, or any other radiation, propagates through that medium. It is defined as where c is the speed of light in vacuum and v is the speed of light in the substance. For example, the refractive index of water is 1.33, meaning that light travels 1.33 times as fast in vacuum as it does in water. The historically first occurrence of the refractive index was in Snell's law of refraction, n1sinθ1= n2sinθ2, where θ1 and θ2 are the angles of incidence of a ray crossing the interface between two media with refractive indices n1 and n2. Brewster's angle, the critical angle for total internal reflection, and the reflectivity of a surface also depend on the refractive index, as described by the Fresnel equations. The refractive index can be seen as the factor by which the velocity and the wavelength of the radiation are reduced with respect to their vacuum values: The speed of light in a medium is and similarly the wavelength in that medium is, where is the wavelength of that light in vacuum. This implies that vacuum has a refractive index of 1. Historically other reference media have been common.

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1. • Ratio

How to pronounce refractive index?

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Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of refractive index in Chaldean Numerology is: 3

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of refractive index in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=refractive index
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Refractive_Index
3. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refractive_Index
4. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
5. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=refractive index