What is the formula for calculating the speed of light in a medium?

AI Thread Summary
To calculate the speed of light in a medium, the formula used is v = c/n, where v is the speed of light in the medium, c is the speed of light in a vacuum (approximately 3 x 10^8 m/s), and n is the refractive index of the medium. For water with n = 1.33, diamond with n = 2.42, and quartz with n = 1.54, the respective speeds can be calculated using this formula. The discussion emphasizes the importance of showing work in calculations as per forum rules. Participants are encouraged to provide specific details when seeking help. Understanding the formula is crucial for accurate calculations in physics.
RoseCrye
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1.Find the speed of light in the following in m/s...


(a) water (n = 1.33)

(b) diamond (n = 2.42)

(c) quartz (n = 1.54)

i can't seem to get any of these right...
 
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Please show some work. Its the rules of the forum. We're not supposed to help you until you do.
 
looking for a formula...

G01 said:
Please show some work. Its the rules of the forum. We're not supposed to help you until you do.

ooops. sorry, didn't think about that. problem was, i wasn't even sure how to do it. didn't have a formula, and i couldn't find one. that was really what i was looking for... i'll try to be more specific next time.
 
I multiplied the values first without the error limit. Got 19.38. rounded it off to 2 significant figures since the given data has 2 significant figures. So = 19. For error I used the above formula. It comes out about 1.48. Now my question is. Should I write the answer as 19±1.5 (rounding 1.48 to 2 significant figures) OR should I write it as 19±1. So in short, should the error have same number of significant figures as the mean value or should it have the same number of decimal places as...
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