What happens to light as the index of refraction increases?

As the index of refraction increases, light travels slower through the material. The index of refraction is a dimensionless number that measures how much light bends, or refracts, when entering a medium. It is defined as the ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum to the speed of light in that medium. Therefore, a higher index indicates that light will pass through the material at a reduced speed compared to its speed in a vacuum. This reduction in speed leads to a greater amount of bending or refraction when light enters or exits the material.

This phenomenon can be observed in everyday situations, such as when light passes through glass or water. For instance, optical fibers use materials with a high index of refraction to effectively guide light, relying on this principle of refraction and speed change to convey information over distances. Thus, the correct understanding of how light interacts with materials of varying indices of refraction is essential in physics and engineering applications related to optics.