D2O (Deuterium Oxide) Referactive Index vs H2O (Water)

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SUMMARY

The refractive index of deuterium oxide (D2O) is smaller than that of water (H2O) due to its higher density and lower molecular count per unit volume. The refractive index is influenced by polarizability, which is determined by the dipole moment per unit volume in response to an electric field. The Lorentz-Lorenz formula provides a mathematical framework for understanding this relationship, highlighting the impact of molecular mass and density on refractive index.

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Why the referactive index of D2O(deutrium oxide) is smaller than H20(water)?As D2O is more denser than H2O.
 
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Refractive index depends on polarizability, which is the dipole moment produced per unit volume, per unit of applied electric field. It depends mainly on the number of molecules per unit volume as the oxygen atoms are by far the most polarizable.

I'm not familiar with the nuances of deuterium oxide of the top of my head, but it is entirely possible that the density could be higher than that of water (owing to the greater molecular mass of D2O), while having a smaller number of molecules per unit volume.

For reference, look up the Lorentz-Lorenz formula.

Claude.
 

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