Refractive Index

The refractive index of a material is a measure of how easy it is for light to travel through it. The refractive index of material s can be calculated using:

where n is the refractive index, c is the speed of light in a vacuum and c_s is the speed of light in material s.

Refractive Index, n, has no units

If light can travel at c in material x then the refractive index is:

If light can travel at c/2 in material y then the refractive index is:

The higher the refractive index the slower light can travel through it

The higher the refractive index the denser the material