When light enters a liquid or solid substance from air its speed is greatly reduced. This bending effect is called refraction. Different substances slow the light to different speeds.
The more the light is slowed when it enters the material, the more the material will bend the light (the greater amount of refraction). Different materials tend to give different results for this refraction.
We can think of this as the optical density: the greater the slowing effect, the greater the optical density of the material. The greater the optical density, the greater the refractive power. It's too difficult to measure the speed of light through air, instead we measure it's bending effect.
Refraction is the change in direction in which light travels when it passes from one medium into another of differing optical density.
The Refractive Index of a diamond is 2.42 compared to quartz which is 1.54-1.56. Refraction is an important optical effect cause it has a diagnostic value. Refraction has a direct relationship to other optical properties such as reflection and brilliance.
Refractive Index is a number that describes how light propagates through that medium. The refractive index determines how much light is bent, or refracted, when entering a material.
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