refraktsioonisindeks

Refraction index, also known as refractive index or index of refraction, is a dimensionless number that describes how light, or any other radiation, bends when passing from one medium to another. It is defined as the ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum to the speed of light in the medium. The refractive index determines how much the path of light is bent, or refracted, when entering a material. This property is crucial in various fields, including optics, physics, and materials science.

The refractive index is typically denoted by the symbol 'n'. For example, the refractive index of water is approximately 1.33, meaning that light travels 1.33 times slower in water than in a vacuum. The refractive index can also be a complex number, indicating that the material absorbs light as well as refracting it.

The refractive index varies with the wavelength of light, a property known as dispersion. This means that different colors of light are refracted at slightly different angles, which is why a prism can split white light into its constituent colors.

The refractive index is also influenced by the temperature and pressure of the medium. In general, the refractive index increases with increasing density of the material. This property is used in various applications, such as lenses in eyeglasses and cameras, prisms in spectroscopes, and optical fibers in telecommunications.

In summary, the refractive index is a fundamental property that describes how light interacts with a material. It plays a crucial role in various optical systems and has wide-ranging applications in science and technology.