Why some materials have bigger refractive index than others?

AI Thread Summary
The refractive index of materials varies due to differences in their dielectric constants and magnetic permeabilities. Air has a refractive index of 1.003, while quartz glass has a higher index of 1.46, primarily due to the atomic and molecular structure of the materials. The ease with which an electric field can polarize molecules in a medium influences its permittivity, which directly affects the refractive index. In optical media, the refractive index is largely determined by the electric permittivity related to the bonds between atoms and molecules. Understanding these factors clarifies why some materials exhibit higher refractive indices than others.
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why some materials have bigger refractive index than others? Let's say why air have 1.003 refractive index, and quartz glass 1.46?
 
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Physicsissuef said:
why some materials have bigger refractive index than others? Let's say why air have 1.003 refractive index, and quartz glass 1.46?

The refractive index depends upon the dielectric constant and the magnetic permeability.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refractive_index
 
John Creighto said:
The refractive index depends upon the dielectric constant and the magnetic permeability.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refractive_index

Ok, I understand something. But is it actually the atoms and molecules and their bonds?
 
The permittivity depends on how easy it is for an electric field to polarize the molecules.
 
Physicsissuef said:
Ok, I understand something. But is it actually the atoms and molecules and their bonds?
Yes. In optical media, the refractive index depends almost exclusively on the electric permittivity of the medium, which in turn depends on the characteristics of the atomic and molecular bonds within the medium.

Claude.
 

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