Question

The speed of light in benzene is 2.00×108 m/s. what is the index of refraction of benzene?

Answer 1

The index of refraction of a material is the ratio between the speed of light in vacuum, c, and the speed of light in that material, v:

`n= (c)/(v)`
where the speed of light in vacuum is
`c=3 \cdot 10^8 m/s`. The speed of light in benzene is
`v=2.00 \cdot 10^8 m/s`, so we can use the previous relationship to find the refractive index of benzene:

`n= (3 \cdot 10^8 m/s)/(2.00 \cdot 10^8 m/s)=1.5`