What Is The Refractive Index Of Diamond?

To answer your question, first we would need to state what the refractive index of a substance is. The refractive index of any substance may be defined as that property which changes the speed of light as it passes through that substance. It is stated to be the ratio between the speed of light in vacuum to that as it passes through the substance in question. The refractive index depends on a number of factors, such as the angle of incidence at which the light enters the substance, the frequency of the light, etc. the higher the refractive index, the slower the light passes through the substance.
With this understanding, we can now tackle your question. The refractive index of diamond is 2.4175, higher than that of vacuum (1.0), air (which is a minute fraction higher than that of vacuum, though it is still written out as 1.0), water (1.33), glass (1.45 to 1.48), and even lithium niobate (2.25). When light enters the surface of a diamond the original speed at which it was travelling through space, in a vacuum (186,282 miles per second) falls drastically to 77, 056 miles per second. This drastic reduction in speed is the reason behind the high refractive index.

Add Comment

Report