index of refraction

Noun

Meaning

the ratio of the velocity of light in a vacuum to that in a medium

Alternative names

index-of-refraction

Synonyms

Hypernyms

Examples

As the temperature of air increases, the index of refraction of air decreases, a side effect of hotter air being less dense. Source: Internet

Born and Wolf, sec.13.2, "Refraction and reflection at a metal surface" The refracted wave is exponentially attenuated, with exponent proportional to the imaginary component of the index of refraction. Source: Internet

Because the index of refraction is included, the NA of a pencil of rays is an invariant as a pencil of rays passes from one material to another through a flat surface. Source: Internet

However, when it is immersed in a calibrated liquid with a lower index of refraction and the microscope is thrown out of focus, a bright line called a Becke line appears around the perimeter of the crystal. Source: Internet

In most materials, the index of refraction varies with the frequency of the light. Source: Internet

In the next years, others started using different symbols: n, m, and µ. citation Exponent des Brechungsverhältnisses is index of refraction citation citation The symbol n gradually prevailed. Source: Internet

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