Question

The refractive index of diamond is $$2.42$$ . What is the meaning of this statement?

Answer 1

Hint:The refractive index is a measurement of how fast light travels through a medium. In vacuum, light travels at a speed of $$299792458$$ metres per second. The speed of light in other media is slower than this value, and the refractive index of a medium is a measurement of how much the speed of light is slowed in that medium.The wavelength determines the speed of light in a medium.

Complete answer:
The ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum to the speed of light in a given medium is known as the refractive index. The refractive index is a quantity that has no dimensions. It's a measurement of how much slower a light wave travels through material than in a vacuum.

The refractive index (n) is the ratio of light velocity in a vacuum to light velocity in a medium.The formula for refractive index is as follows:
$n={\displaystyle \frac{c}{v}}$
Where, $$n$$ is the refractive index, $$c$$ is the velocity of light in a vacuum $$\left(3\times {10}^{8}m{s}^{-1}\right)$$ and $$v$$ is the velocity of light in a substance.

Diamond has a refractive index of $$2.42$$ . When compared to the speed of light in air, the speed of light in a diamond is reduced by a factor of $$2.42$$. To put it another way, the speed of light in a diamond is $${\displaystyle \frac{1}{2.42}}$$ that of light in vacuum. The high refractive index of diamond indicates that the diamond's speed is low.

Note:From X-rays to radio waves, the idea of refractive index applies across the electromagnetic spectrum. It can also be used to describe wave phenomena like sound. The speed of sound is employed instead of the speed of light in this situation, and a reference medium other than vacuum must be selected.