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 9

A light ray enters a medium with a refractive index of 1.6 at an angle of 0° (normal incidence). What is the angle of refraction?

A light ray travels from glass (n=1.5) to air (n=1.0). If the angle of incidence is 45°, calculate the angle of refraction.

A ray of light passes from air (n=1.00) into water (n=1.33). Does the light speed up or slow down?

A ray of light passes from medium A (n=1.2) to medium B (n=1.5). Will the ray bend towards or away from the normal?

A student measures the speed of light in a transparent material to be 2.4 × 10⁸ m/s. What is the refractive index of the material? (Speed of light in vacuum = 3 × 10⁸ m/s)

Describe how the refractive index affects the bending of light at the boundary between two media.

Explain the term 'relative refractive index'.

Explain why a pencil appears bent when placed in a glass of water.

Explain why light changes direction when it passes from one medium to another.

Explain why the refractive index has no units.

If the angle of incidence is 30° and the angle of refraction is 20°, what is the refractive index of the second medium if the first medium is air (n=1.00)? (Use Snell's Law: n₁sinθ₁ = n₂sinθ₂)

If the refractive index of a medium is 1.5, what is the speed of light in that medium? (Speed of light in vacuum = 3 × 10⁸ m/s)

If the refractive index of a medium is 2, how much slower does light travel in that medium compared to vacuum?

If the refractive index of oil is 1.47, and the speed of light in vacuum is 3 × 10⁸ m/s, what is the speed of light in oil?

If the speed of light in glass is 2 × 10⁸ m/s, what is the refractive index of glass? (Speed of light in vacuum = 3 × 10⁸ m/s)

State the formula for refractive index in terms of speed of light.

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

What happens to the path of light when it passes from a medium with lower refractive index to a higher refractive index?

What is meant by the term 'absolute refractive index'?

What is the refractive index of a medium in which light travels at 2.25 × 10⁸ m/s? (Speed of light in vacuum = 3 × 10⁸ m/s)