Refractive Index

Physics ⇒ Light and Optics

Refractive Index starts at 9 and continues till grade 12. QuestionsToday has an evolving set of questions to continuously challenge students so that their knowledge grows in Refractive Index. How you perform is determined by your score and the time you take. When you play a quiz, your answers are evaluated in concept instead of actual words and definitions used.

See sample questions for grade 10

A light ray enters a medium with a refractive index of 1.7 from air at an angle of 0° (normal incidence). What is the angle of refraction?

A light ray passes from air (n = 1.00) into a liquid and bends towards the normal. What can you say about the refractive index of the liquid?

A light ray passes from medium X (n = 1.6) to medium Y (n = 1.2). If the angle of incidence is 30°, calculate the angle of refraction. (sin^-1(0.75) ≈ 48.6°)

A ray of light passes from glass (n = 1.5) into water (n = 1.33). Will the ray bend towards or away from the normal?

A student measures the angle of incidence as 45° and the angle of refraction as 28° when light passes from air into a liquid. Calculate the refractive index of the liquid. (sin45° = 0.707, sin28° = 0.469)

Define absolute refractive index.

Describe how the refractive index changes with the wavelength of light.

Describe what happens to the path of light when it enters a medium with a lower refractive index from a higher refractive index at an angle.

Explain the term 'relative refractive index'.

Explain why a coin placed at the bottom of a glass of water appears to be raised.

Explain why light bends when it passes from air into water.

Explain why the refractive index of a material is important in the design of lenses and optical instruments.

If the angle of incidence is 30° and the angle of refraction is 20°, and the refractive index of the first medium is 1, what is the refractive index of the second medium? (Use sin30° = 0.5, sin20° = 0.342)

If the refractive index of a medium is 1.4, what is the speed of light in that medium? (Speed of light in vacuum = 3 × 10⁸ m/s)

If the refractive index of glass is 1.5 and that of water is 1.33, what is the refractive index of glass with respect to water?

If the refractive index of medium A with respect to medium B is 1.5, what is the refractive index of medium B with respect to medium A?

If the speed of light in a medium is 2.25 × 10⁸ m/s, what is its refractive index? (Speed of light in vacuum = 3 × 10⁸ m/s)

Snell's Law is mathematically written as n₁sinθ₁ = n₂sinθ₂. What do n₁ and n₂ represent?

State one practical application of refractive index in everyday life.

The refractive index of diamond is about 2.42. What does this mean?