Question

33. Refractive index of water with respect to air is 1.33 and that of glassis 1.52. (3)
(i) In which medium does the light move faster, water orglass?
(ii) What is the refractive index of glass with respecttowater?
(iii) The refractive index of glass is 1.52. What is the meaning of this statement?
Answer ASAP in 50-80 words, answer all three subquestions

Answer 1

Dear student,
(i) Light travels more quickly through water than through glass as Glass is optically denser than the water.
(ii) Refractive index is defined as the ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum to its speed in a specific medium.

Let us consider

Refractive index of air = R_a

Refractive index of glass = R_g

Refractive index of water = R_w

The refractive index of glass with respect to water is given as,

R_gw = R_g/R_w

9/8 = R_g/R_w……………………………..(1)

The refractive index of glass with respect to air is

R_ga = R_g/R_a……………………………..(2)

The refractive index of water with respect to air is

R_wa = R_w/R_a……………………………..(3)

Substitute the value of (1), (2) in (3) we get

R_wa = 4/3

The refractive index of water with respect to air is 4/3.

(iii) The refractive index of crown glass is 1.52. This means that light travels in air 1.52 times faster than it does in crown glass

Regards