If the refractive index of a medium is greater than 1, what happens to the speed
Practice Questions
Q1
If the refractive index of a medium is greater than 1, what happens to the speed of light in that medium compared to vacuum?
It increases
It decreases
It remains the same
It becomes infinite
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
If the refractive index of a medium is greater than 1, what happens to the speed of light in that medium compared to vacuum?
Step 1: Understand that the refractive index (n) is a measure of how much light slows down in a medium compared to vacuum.
Step 2: Know that the refractive index of vacuum is 1 (n = 1).
Step 3: If the refractive index of a medium is greater than 1 (n > 1), it means light travels slower in that medium than in vacuum.
Step 4: The formula v = c/n shows that the speed of light (v) in a medium is equal to the speed of light in vacuum (c) divided by the refractive index (n).
Step 5: Since n is greater than 1, dividing c by n gives a smaller value for v, meaning light travels slower in the medium.
Refractive Index – The refractive index (n) of a medium indicates how much the speed of light is reduced compared to its speed in a vacuum (c). If n > 1, light travels slower in that medium.
Speed of Light – The speed of light in a vacuum is the maximum speed at which light can travel, denoted as c. In any medium with a refractive index greater than 1, the speed of light is reduced.
