- #1
reshmaji
- 8
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I'm going through the Light & Optics chapter of Kaplan MCAT prep material & am having a hard time conceptually understanding the relationship between index of refraction & wavelength or with frequency.
It says in the book that n = c/v, & "when the speed of the light wave varies with wavelength, a material exhibits dispersion", then goes on to describe white light dispersion by a prism. Here is where I get confused, it continues to state that "violet light 'sees' a greater index of refraction than red does & so is bent to a greater extent"
The book also clearly indicates that larger f = smaller λ = larger n = more bending (e.g. for violet light relative to red). How is that so? Considering that v = fλ, smaller λ corresponds to smaller v & so by n = c/v it also corresponds to larger n & more bending, but shouldn't larger f = larger v = smaller n??
Any help would be appreciated! :)
It says in the book that n = c/v, & "when the speed of the light wave varies with wavelength, a material exhibits dispersion", then goes on to describe white light dispersion by a prism. Here is where I get confused, it continues to state that "violet light 'sees' a greater index of refraction than red does & so is bent to a greater extent"
The book also clearly indicates that larger f = smaller λ = larger n = more bending (e.g. for violet light relative to red). How is that so? Considering that v = fλ, smaller λ corresponds to smaller v & so by n = c/v it also corresponds to larger n & more bending, but shouldn't larger f = larger v = smaller n??
Any help would be appreciated! :)