number that expresses the speed of light through a medium as a ratio between that speed and the speed of light in a vacuum
The refractive index (or index of
refraction) of a medium is a measure for how much the speed of light (or other waves such as sound waves) is reduced inside the medium. For example, typical
glass has a refractive index of 1.5, which means that light travels at times the speed in air or vacuum. Two common properties of glass and other transparent materials are directly related to their refractive index. First, light rays change direction when they cross the interface from air to the material, an effect that is used in lenses and
glasses. Second, light reflects partially from surfaces that have a refractive index different from that of their surroundings.
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