What is the formula to calculate the index of refraction of a medium? How can we calculate the index of refraction of quartz at a wavelength of 355nm?
The index of refraction of quartz at a wavelength of 355nm can be calculated using the formula n = c/v. In this case, the index of refraction of quartz is approximately 1.549.
Understanding Index of Refraction
The index of refraction (n) of a medium is a measure of how much the speed of light is reduced when it passes through that medium. It can be calculated using the formula n = c/v, where c represents the speed of light in vacuum and v represents the speed of light in the medium.
To calculate the index of refraction of quartz at a wavelength of 355nm, we need to know the speed of light in quartz and the wavelength of the light. Given that the speed of light in quartz (v) is 1.94x10^8 m/s and the wavelength of the light in quartz is 355nm (or 3.55x10^-7 m), we can plug these values into the formula to find the index of refraction.
Calculation:
n = (3.00x10^8 m/s) / (1.94x10^8 m/s) ≈ 1.549
Therefore, at a wavelength of 355nm, the index of refraction of quartz is approximately 1.549. This means that light traveling through quartz at this wavelength will be slowed down by a factor of approximately 1.549 compared to its speed in vacuum.