Calculating Difference in Speed of Light in Glass: Help Needed!

In summary, Cathy is seeking help with a physics question involving the refractive index of glass and the speed of light in different colors. She is able to calculate the difference in speed between blue and red light, but is struggling with finding the time interval for a pulse of white light to travel through an optical fiber. She also needs assistance with a separate question about the diameter of a circle of light produced by a lamp underwater.
  • #1
CathyLou
173
1
Hiya.

I'm really stuck on the following question. I think that I have got part a alright, but I've no idea what to do for part b. Any help would be really appreciated.

The refractive index of glass is 1.643 for blue light, and 1.618 for red.

(a) Calculate the difference in the speed of light in the glass for the two colours.


Okay, for this one I got that if n = C/V, for blue light V = 1.83 x 10^8 and for red light V = 1.85 x 10 ^8. Therefore, the difference is 2 x 10^6 m.s^1.

(b) If a very short pulse of white light is sent in a one end of an optical fibre made of this glass of length 1 km, find the time interval between the arrival at the other end of the red and blue light.

Thank you.

Cathy
 
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  • #2
Go back to what was probably the very first fourmula you used in physics: d=vt.
 
  • #3
Chi Meson said:
Go back to what was probably the very first fourmula you used in physics: d=vt.

Oh, yeah! Thanks so much for your help! :smile:

Cathy
 
  • #4
I also had no idea how to work out the next question and would really appreciate it if someone could please help me out.

A diver working in water has a lamp which is 3 m below the surface. Viewed from above, the lamp produces a circle of light on the surface of the water. What is the diameter of the circle?

Thanks again.

Cathy
 
Last edited:

What is the speed of light in glass?

The speed of light in glass is approximately 200,000,000 meters per second, which is slower than the speed of light in a vacuum, which is approximately 300,000,000 meters per second.

How is the speed of light in glass calculated?

The speed of light in glass is calculated by dividing the speed of light in a vacuum by the refractive index of the glass. The refractive index is a measure of how much the speed of light is reduced when passing through a material.

Why is the speed of light slower in glass?

The speed of light is slower in glass because the particles in glass cause the light to scatter and interact, which slows down its overall speed.

What factors affect the speed of light in glass?

The speed of light in glass can be affected by factors such as the composition and density of the glass, the temperature and pressure of the environment, and the wavelength of the light being passed through.

Why is it important to calculate the difference in speed of light in glass?

Calculating the difference in speed of light in glass allows us to better understand the properties of glass and how it affects the transmission of light. This information is important in fields such as optics, telecommunications, and materials science.

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