What is True About the Index of Refraction

Question

What is true about the index of refraction
A)If light rays are taken up by the object than it has a high index of refraction.
B)Refraction measures the frequency of the light as it reflects from a material.
C)Oil immersion lenses increase the problem of refraction.
D)Light will bend as it passes through two substances with different indices of refraction.

Accepted Answer

The index of refraction is the ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum to the speed of light in a given material. When light passes from one material to another with a different index of refraction, it will bend, or refract. This is what causes phenomena such as the bending of light in a prism or the distortion of objects seen through a glass of water. A higher index of refraction does not necessarily mean that an object will absorb more light. Oil immersion lenses are used to reduce the problem of refraction when viewing samples under a microscope. Refraction does not measure the frequency of light, but rather the angle of its path as it passes through a material.