What is he index of refraction of a material in which the speed of light is 1.75 x 10^8 m/s

Question

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Answer 1

index of refraction=speed of light in vacuum (c)/speed of light in a medium. n=c/v

n= (3x10^8)/(1.75x10^8)= 1.71

The formula is easy to remember because "n" cannot be less than one. If you get an answer that is less than one, it cannot be accurate since that would mean that the light is traveling faster in the medium than in vacuum which is not possible as far as we understand.

Answer 2

Definition of the index of refraction (n)

speed of light in the medium = v

speed of light in a vacuum = c (also typically used for air)

n = c/v

In words: a higher index slows down the light and causes it to change direction more easily

For you problem, just plug in v and c into the equation