When a beam of light,originally traveling in air,enters a piece of glass having an index of refraction of 3/2,its speed
A)increases by a factor of 3/2.
B)is reduced to 2/3 its original value.
C)is unaffected.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The speed of light is reduced when it passes from air to glass because the glass has a higher refractive index than the air. The refractive index of the glass is 3/2, which means that the speed of light in the glass is 2/3 of the speed of light in air. Therefore, the correct choice is B, the speed of the light is reduced to 2/3 of its original value.

When a Beam of Light,originally Traveling in Air,enters a Piece