The speed of light with wavelength 589.3 nm through an unknown uniform solid sample is 1.241 * 10⁸ m/s.Identify the solid.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The speed of light in a medium is given by $v = \frac{c}{n}$, where $c$ is the speed of light in vacuum (approximately $3.00 \times 10^8$ m/s) and $n$ is the refractive index of the medium. Given the speed of light in the solid is $1.241 \times 10^8$ m/s, we can calculate the refractive index of the solid as $n = \frac{c}{v} = \frac{3.00 \times 10^8}{1.241 \times 10^8} \approx 2.42$. This refractive index is characteristic of diamond, making it the correct answer.

The Speed of Light with Wavelength 589