(a) The refractive index of glass is 1.5. What is the speed of light in glass? (Speed of light in vacuum is $3.0 \times 10^{8} m s^{- 1})$
(b) Is the speed of light in glass independent of the colour of light? If not, which of the two colours red and violet travels slower in a glass prism?

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Solution

(a) Speed of light in glass is $c / μ = 2 \times 10^{8} m / s$
(b) The speed of light in glass is not independent of the colour of light. The refractive index of a violet component of white light is greater than the refractive index of a red component. Hence, the speed of violet light is less than the speed of red light in glass. Hence, violet light travels slower than red light in a glass prism.

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