| So far we have used air as one of the media through which the
light travels. Because air has a refractive index close to that of a vacuum, the
refractive index of a material relative to air is a good approximation to the absolute
refractive index of the material. Usually only the absolute refractive index of a
material is given in data books. |
Material
|
Absolute refractive index
|
| Flint glass |
1.650 |
| Diamond |
2.417 |
| Ruby |
1.760 |
| Pyrex® |
1.470 |
| Water |
1.330 |
| Air |
1.0008 |
| Ice |
1.310 |
|
