If the speed of light in vacuum is 3 x 10^8 m/s, what is the speed of light in a
Practice Questions
Q1
If the speed of light in vacuum is 3 x 10^8 m/s, what is the speed of light in a medium with a refractive index of 1.5?
2 x 10^8 m/s
2.5 x 10^8 m/s
3 x 10^8 m/s
1.5 x 10^8 m/s
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
If the speed of light in vacuum is 3 x 10^8 m/s, what is the speed of light in a medium with a refractive index of 1.5?
Step 1: Understand that the speed of light in a vacuum is given as 3 x 10^8 meters per second (m/s).
Step 2: Know that the refractive index (n) of a medium tells us how much the speed of light is reduced in that medium. Here, n = 1.5.
Step 3: Use the formula to find the speed of light in the medium: Speed of light in medium = Speed of light in vacuum / Refractive index.
Step 4: Plug in the values: Speed of light in medium = (3 x 10^8 m/s) / 1.5.
Step 5: Perform the division: 3 x 10^8 divided by 1.5 equals 2 x 10^8 m/s.
Step 6: Conclude that the speed of light in the medium with a refractive index of 1.5 is 2 x 10^8 m/s.
Refractive Index – The refractive index of a medium is a dimensionless number that describes how light propagates through that medium, calculated as the ratio of the speed of light in vacuum to the speed of light in the medium.
Speed of Light – The speed of light in vacuum is a constant value, approximately 3 x 10^8 m/s, and it decreases when light travels through different media.
