1. What is the Index of Refraction?

The index of refraction (n) is a dimensionless number that describes how light propagates through a medium. It's defined as the ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum to the speed of light in the medium.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses Snell's Law formula:

Where:

• \( n \) — Index of refraction (dimensionless)
• \( i \) — Angle of incidence (degrees)
• \( r \) — Angle of refraction (degrees)

Explanation: The formula shows that the index of refraction is equal to the ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the angle of refraction.

3. Importance of Refractive Index

Details: The refractive index is crucial in optics for designing lenses, understanding light behavior at interfaces, and in materials science for characterizing substances.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter both angles in degrees (between 0 and 90). The angles should be measured from the normal to the interface between the two media.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What are typical values for refractive index?
A: Air: ~1.0003, Water: ~1.33, Glass: ~1.5, Diamond: ~2.4.

Q2: Can the refractive index be less than 1?
A: Normally no, but in some special cases (like metamaterials or X-rays), it can appear to be less than 1.

Q3: How does temperature affect refractive index?
A: Generally, refractive index decreases with increasing temperature as the density decreases.

Q4: What's the difference between absolute and relative refractive index?
A: Absolute is relative to vacuum, while relative compares two media (n = n₂/n₁).

Q5: How is this related to total internal reflection?
A: Total internal reflection occurs when light travels from higher to lower n at angles greater than the critical angle.