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Question
How refraction of light is related to refractive index?
Solution
For a given angle of incidence, the extent of refraction of light is different in different media.
- When the refractive index of the second medium is greater than the refractive index of the first medium, the refracted ray bends more towards the normal.
- When the refractive index of the first medium is greater than the refractive index of the second medium, the refracted ray bends away from the normal.
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RELATED QUESTIONS
The velocity of light in a medium is 1.5 x 108 m/s. What is the refractive index of the medium with respect to air, if the velocity in air is 3 x 108 m/s?
If the refractive index of glass for light going from air to glass is 3/2, find the refractive index of air for light going from glass to air.
You are given kerosene, turpentine and water. In which of these does the light travel fastest? Use the information given in Table.
| Material medium |
Refractive index | Material medium | Refractive index |
| Air | 1.0003 | Canada Balsam | 1.53 |
| Ice | 1.31 | – | – |
| Water | 1.33 | Rock salt | 1.54 |
| Alcohol | 1.36 | – | – |
| Kerosene | 1.44 | Carbon disulphide | 1.63 |
| Fused quartz |
1.46 | Dense flint glass |
1.65 |
| Turpentine oil | 1.47 | Ruby | 1.71 |
| Benzene | 1.50 | Sapphire | 1.77 |
| Crown glass |
1.52 | Diamond | 2.42 |
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Fill in the following blank with a suitable word:
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The speed of light in vacuum and in two different glasses is given in the table below:
| Medium | Speed of light |
| Vacuum | 3.00 × 108 m/s |
| Flint glass | 1.86 × 108 m/s |
| Crown glass | 1.97 × 108 m/s |
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The speed of light in substance X is 1.25 × 108 m/s and that in air is 3 × 108 m/s. The refractive index of this substance will be:
(a) 2.4
(b) 0.4
(c) 4.2
(d) 3.75
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(b) 1.50
(c) 2.42
(d) 1.36
Refractive indices of water, sulphuric acid, glass and carbon disulphide are 1.33, 1.43, 1.53 and 1.63 respectively. the light travels slowest in:
(a) sulphuric acid
(b) glass
(c) water
(d) carbon disulphide
The refractive index of glass with respect to air is `3/2` and the refractive index of water with respect to air is `4/3`. The refractive index of glass with respect to water will be:
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The following table gives the refractive indices of a few media:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| Medium | Water | Crown glass | Rock salt | Ruby | Diamond |
| Refractive index | 1.33 | 1.52 | 1.54 | 1.71 | 2.42 |
Use this table to give an example of:
(i) a medium pair so that light speeds up when it goes from one of these medium to another.
(ii) a medium pair so that light slows down when it goes from one of these medium to another.
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| Medium | Refractive index |
| A | 1.33 |
| B | 1.44 |
| C | 1.52 |
| D | 1.65 |
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Noor, a young student, was trying to demonstrate some properties of light in her Science project work. She kept ‘X’ inside the box (as shown in the figure) and with the help of a laser pointer made light rays pass through the holes on one side of the box. She had a small butter-paper screen to see the spots of light being cast as they emerged.
She measured the angles of incidence for both the rays on the left side of the box to be 48.60. She knew the refractive index of the material ‘X’ inside the box was 1.5. What will be the approximate value of angle of refraction?
(use the value: sin 48.6° ≈ 0.75)
Noor, a young student, was trying to demonstrate some properties of light in her Science project work. She kept ‘X’ inside the box (as shown in the figure) and with the help of a laser pointer made light rays pass through the holes on one side of the box. She had a small butter-paper screen to see the spots of light being cast as they emerged.
If the object inside the box was made of a material with a refractive index less than 1.5 then the ______.
Refractive index of diamond with respect to glass is 1.6 and absolute refractive index of glass is 1.5. Find out the absolute refractive index of diamond.
Match the Columns:
| Column ‘A’ | Column ‘B’ |
| Refractive index of water | (a) 1.31 |
| (b) 1.36 | |
| (c) 1.33 |
What happens when a light ray passes from a rarer medium to a denser medium?
| The ability of medium to refract light is expressed in terms of its optical density. Optical density has a definite connotation. It is not the same as mass density. On comparing two media, the one with the large refractive index is optically denser medium than the other. The other medium with a lower refractive index is optically rarer. Also the speed of light through a given medium is inversely proportional to its optical density. |
- Determine the speed of light in diamond if the refractive index of diamond with respect to vacuum is 2.42. Speed of light in vacuum is 3 × 108 m/s.
- Refractive indices of glass, water and carbon disulphide are 1.5, 1.33 and 1.62 respectively. If a ray of light is incident in these media at the same angle (say θ), then write the increasing order of the angle of refraction in these media.
- (A) The speed of light in glass is 2 × 108 m/s and is water is 2.25 × 108 m/s.
(a) Which one of the two optically denser and why?
(b) A ray of light is incident normally at the water glass interface when it enters a thick glass container filled with water. What will happen to the path of the ray after entering the glass? Give reason.
OR
(B) The absolute refractive indices of glass and water are 4/3 and 3/2, respectively. If the speed of light in glass is 2 × 108 m/s, calculate the speed of light in (i) vacuum (ii) water.
