refractive index
noun
: the ratio of the speed of radiation (such as light) in one medium (such as air, glass, or a vacuum) to that in another medium
Examples of refractive index in a Sentence
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In a nitride device, the trench is sandwiched by a film of aluminium gallium nitride, and the whole structure is surrounded by cladding—that is, layers having a refractive index higher than the other material.
—
IEEE Spectrum, 26 Feb. 2010
The higher the refractive index, the shinier and glossier the product looks.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 26 Dec. 2024
The refractive index of those aqueous components is low, while the refractive index of the proteins and lipids is high.
—Jacek Krywko, Ars Technica, 16 Sep. 2024
The change in clarity comes because water and air molecules have different refractive indexes—the amount of light that bends passing through an object or substance.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 5 Sep. 2024
In tissues, the lipids that make up cell membranes have a refractive index of about 1.4, higher than the surrounding water.
—Bysara Reardon, science.org, 5 Sep. 2024
The dye, when mixed with water, modifies the refractive index — a measure of the way a substance bends light — of the aqueous part of the tissue to better match the index of proteins and fats in the tissue.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 5 Sep. 2024
But tartrazine dye, through its powerful absorption of blue wavelengths of light, changes the refractive index of water to be much closer to that of fat, Hong says.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 5 Sep. 2024
In such a universe, rulers and yardsticks would never be straight (solid objects would expand and shrink with the temperature gradient) while the refractive index would make light rays appear to travel in curves rather than lines.
—Quanta Magazine, 30 July 2024
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IEEE Spectrum, 26 Feb. 2010
The higher the refractive index, the shinier and glossier the product looks.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 26 Dec. 2024
The refractive index of those aqueous components is low, while the refractive index of the proteins and lipids is high.
—Jacek Krywko, Ars Technica, 16 Sep. 2024
The change in clarity comes because water and air molecules have different refractive indexes—the amount of light that bends passing through an object or substance.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 5 Sep. 2024
In tissues, the lipids that make up cell membranes have a refractive index of about 1.4, higher than the surrounding water.
—Bysara Reardon, science.org, 5 Sep. 2024
The dye, when mixed with water, modifies the refractive index — a measure of the way a substance bends light — of the aqueous part of the tissue to better match the index of proteins and fats in the tissue.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 5 Sep. 2024
But tartrazine dye, through its powerful absorption of blue wavelengths of light, changes the refractive index of water to be much closer to that of fat, Hong says.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 5 Sep. 2024
In such a universe, rulers and yardsticks would never be straight (solid objects would expand and shrink with the temperature gradient) while the refractive index would make light rays appear to travel in curves rather than lines.
—Quanta Magazine, 30 July 2024
Cite this Entry
“Refractive index.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refractive%20index. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.
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