The refractive index of diamond is 2.42. What is the meaning of this statement?
Solution and Explanation
Refractive index of a medium nm is related to the speed of light in that medium v by the relation:
\(n_m = \frac{\text{Speed of light in air }}{\text{Speed of light in the medium }}= \frac{c}{ v}\)
Where, c is the speed of light in vacuum/air.
The refractive index of diamond is 2.42. This suggests that the speed of light in diamond will reduce by a factor 2.42 compared to its speed in air.
Top Questions on Refraction of Light
Two light beams fall on a transparent material block at point 1 and 2 with angle \( \theta_1 \) and \( \theta_2 \), respectively, as shown in the figure. After refraction, the beams intersect at point 3 which is exactly on the interface at the other end of the block. Given: the distance between 1 and 2, \( d = 4/3 \) cm and \( \theta_1 = \theta_2 = \cos^{-1} \frac{n_2}{2n_1} \), where \( n_2 \) is the refractive index of the block and \( n_1 \) is the refractive index of the outside medium, then the thickness of the block is cm.
- JEE Main - 2025
- Physics
- Refraction of Light
- At the interface between two materials having refractive indices \( n_1 \) and \( n_2 \), the critical angle for reflection of an EM wave is \( \theta_c \). The \( n_1 \) material is replaced by another material having refractive index \( n_3 \), such that the critical angle at the interface between \( n_1 \) and \( n_3 \) materials is \( \theta_{c3} \). If \( n_1 > n_2 > n_3 \), \( \frac{n_2}{n_3} = \frac{2}{5} \), and \( \sin \theta_{c2} - \sin \theta_{c1} = \frac{1}{2} \), then \( \theta_{c1} \) is:
- JEE Main - 2025
- Physics
- Refraction of Light
- In a long glass tube, a mixture of two liquids A and B with refractive indices 1.3 and 1.4 respectively, forms a convex refractive meniscus towards A. If an object placed at 13 cm from the vertex of the meniscus in A forms an image with a magnification of \(-2\), then the radius of curvature of the meniscus is:
- JEE Main - 2025
- Physics
- Refraction of Light
- An unpolarised light beam strikes a glass surface at Brewster's angle. Then
- NEET (UG) - 2024
- Physics
- Refraction of Light
- An object lying 100 cm inside water is viewed normally from air. If the refractive index of water is \( \frac{4}{3} \), then the apparent depth of the object is:
- AP EAPCET - 2024
- Physics
- Refraction of Light
Questions Asked in CBSE X exam
- The sum of two numbers is 18, and the sum of their reciprocals is $\frac{1}{4}$. Find the numbers.
- CBSE Class X - 2024
- Linear Equations
- The vertices of a quadrilateral ABCD are A(6, – 2), B(9, 2), C(5, – 1) and D(2, – 5). Prove that ABCD is a rhombus, and not a square.
- CBSE Class X - 2024
- Coordinate Geometry
- $ABCD$ is a trapezium with $AB \parallel DC$. $AC$ and $BD$ intersect at $E$. If $\triangle AED \sim \triangle BEC$, then prove that $AD = BC$.
- CBSE Class X - 2024
- Similarity of Triangles
- The sum of the first three terms of an AP is 30 and the sum of the last three terms is 36. If the first term is 9, then the number of terms is :
- CBSE Class X - 2024
- Arithmetic Progression
- Write down the difference between sight alignment and sight picture.
- CBSE Class X - 2024
- Weapon Training