How come violet, with the shortest wavelength, is refracted the most?

[plaguedbyfoibles]

Homework Statement

How come violet, with the shortest wavelength, is refracted the most in water, whereas red, with the longest wavelength, is refracted the least?

Relevant Equations

N/A

I'm reading Usborne's Introduction to Physics, which says the following:

The wedge of water bends each different wavelength by a slightly different amount. Red has the longest wavelength and is bent the least. Violet has the shortest and is bent the most.

 

[PeroK]

I can give you a partial answer. The speed of light in a medium depends on the dielectric properties of medium and the wavelength of the light. The red light travels faster in the medium than the violet light, so has a lower index of refraction.

For a fuller explanation of how the wavelength and dielectric properties determine the refractive index, I would have to consult Griffiths when I get home!

 

[plaguedbyfoibles]

I can give you a partial answer. The speed of light in a medium depends on the dielectric properties of medium and the wavelength of the light. The red light travels faster in the medium than the violet light, so has a lower index of refraction.

For a fuller explanation of how the wavelength and dielectric properties determine the refractive index, I would have to consult Griffiths when I get home!

Awesome, is that David J. Griffith's Introduction to Electrodynamics by any chance?

 

[PeroK]

Awesome, is that David J. Griffith's Introduction to Electrodynamics by any chance?

Yes. As I suspected, it's quite advanced (chapter 9) and entails satisfying Maxwell's equations for a light wave obliquely incident on the boundary between two mediums. The speed in the medium and angle of refraction depend on the wavelength.