Practice question
Question
What is the refractive index of a medium if the speed of light in it is \( 2.4 \times 10^8 \,
\text{m/s} \) and in vacuum is \( 3.0 \times 10^8 \, \text{m/s} \)?
Explanation
**Critical angle** sinC = n₂/n₁, n₁ denser, n₂ rarer 1 for air, for C=36.9° n₁=1/sin36.9°=1/0.6=1.67, for C=39° n=1/sin39°=1/0.629=1.59, for n=1.85 C=arcsin(1/1.85)=arcsin0.5405=32.7°, total internal reflection occurs only when light travels from denser to rarer and incidence > C, because Snell's law would require sinθ₂>1 impossible. Refractive index n = (c/v) . c = 3.0 × 10⁸ m/s , v = 2.4 × 10⁸ m/s , n = (3.0 × 10⁸/2.4 × 10⁸) = 1.25 . Using Δ = d sinθ, y = n λ D/d, a sinθ = n λ, I = I₀ cos²θ, n = c/v, sinC = 1/n, λ' = λ/n and A =
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