refractive index
noun
: the ratio of the speed of radiation (such as light) in one medium (such as air, glass, or a vacuum) to that in another medium
Examples of refractive index in a Sentence
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Ars Video The team screened various biocompatible polymeric materials (used to make commercial contact lenses) to find just the right refractive index and optical and mechanical properties, and integrated them with the aforementioned nanoparticles to make upconversion contact lenses (UCLs).
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Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 22 May 2025
In the simplest terms, diamonds are carbon with a cubic atomic arrangement, and their shine comes from the gems’ high refractive index—that is, an ability to bend light.
—Kayla Randall, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Mar. 2025
This core is surrounded by more than 50 µm of cladding made of glass with a lower refractive index.
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 Jan. 2016
The Schlieren image can detect and make these visible because such changes change the air's refractive index and deflects light.
—David Szondy, New Atlas, 3 Mar. 2025
In a nitride device, the trench is sandwiched by a film of aluminium gallium nitride, and the whole structure is surrounded by cladding—that is, layers having a refractive index higher than the other material.
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 Feb. 2010
The higher the refractive index, the shinier and glossier the product looks.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 26 Dec. 2024
The refractive index of those aqueous components is low, while the refractive index of the proteins and lipids is high.
—Jacek Krywko, Ars Technica, 16 Sep. 2024
The change in clarity comes because water and air molecules have different refractive indexes—the amount of light that bends passing through an object or substance.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 5 Sep. 2024
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Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 22 May 2025
In the simplest terms, diamonds are carbon with a cubic atomic arrangement, and their shine comes from the gems’ high refractive index—that is, an ability to bend light.
—Kayla Randall, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Mar. 2025
This core is surrounded by more than 50 µm of cladding made of glass with a lower refractive index.
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 Jan. 2016
The Schlieren image can detect and make these visible because such changes change the air's refractive index and deflects light.
—David Szondy, New Atlas, 3 Mar. 2025
In a nitride device, the trench is sandwiched by a film of aluminium gallium nitride, and the whole structure is surrounded by cladding—that is, layers having a refractive index higher than the other material.
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 Feb. 2010
The higher the refractive index, the shinier and glossier the product looks.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 26 Dec. 2024
The refractive index of those aqueous components is low, while the refractive index of the proteins and lipids is high.
—Jacek Krywko, Ars Technica, 16 Sep. 2024
The change in clarity comes because water and air molecules have different refractive indexes—the amount of light that bends passing through an object or substance.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 5 Sep. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Refractive index.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refractive%20index. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
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