6.Refractive Index and Total internal reflection

what does light travel the fastest through

Vacuum

why does light travel slower in more optically dense material?

interacts with the particles in them

how is the optical density of a material measured?

by its refractive index

what does a high optical density of a material mean for the refractive index?

high refractive index

refractive index definition?

the ratio between the speed of light in a vacuum and the speed of light in that material

refractive index of the material symbol?

n

speed of light in a vacuum

c=3.00×10^8

symbol for speed of light in material?

v

refractive index of air ?

n air=1

when can Snell’s law be used?

if a light is passing through a boundary between two materials

used to calaculate unknown angles + refractive indices

what is the angle of incidence?

the angle that incoming light makes to the normal

what is the angle of reflection?

the angle the refracted ray makes with the normal

equation for when a light ray passes across a boundary between two materials?

nsindegrees=constant

Snell’s law equation?

n1sindegree1 =n2sindegree2

Equation for working out the critical angle for a certain boundary?

Sin C= n2/n1

What is the total internal reflection?

All light is reflected back into the material as at angles of incidence greater than the critical angle refraction can’t happen