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The refractive index of glass is 1.5. What is the speed of light in glass? (Speed of light in vacuum is 3.0 × 108 ms-1)

Given, refractive index of glass, μg = 1.5 

Refractive index is given by, 

             μ = speed of light in vacuumspeed of light in the medium

  Speed of light in glass= speed of light in vaccumμg
                                      = 3.0 × 1061.5= 2.0 × 106 ms-1.

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Monochromatic light of wavelength 589 nm is incident from air on a water surface. What are the wavelength, frequency and speed of (a) reflected, and (b) refracted light? Refractive index of water is 1.33.


Given, 
Wavelength of monochromatic light, λ = 589 nmSpeed of light, c = 3 × 108 m/sRefractive index, μ = 1.33

(a) For reflected light,
Wavelength is going to remain the same for incident and reflected light. 
Wavelength, λ = 589 nm = 589 × 10-9m
Frequency of light, v = cλ                                     = 3 × 108589 × 10-9                                      = 5.09 × 1014Hz.
Speed of lightwill remain invariant in two media.
Therefore, v = c = 3 × 108 m/s 

(b) For refracted light, 
Refractive index of water w.r.t. air,   μωa = vavω 

i.e.,                                                 μωa = vaλavωλω
                 va = vω
So, wavelength of light 

λω = λaμωa = 589 × 10-91.33                       = 4.42 × 10-7m
                          
As frequency remains unaffected on entering another medium, therefore, 
           νω = νa = 5.09 × 1014 Hz 

Speed,
              v' = vaμω = 3 × 1081.33     = 2.25 × 108 m/s.  

i.e., speed of the light has decresed when it entered the second medium.

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What is the shape of the wavefront in each of the following cases:
The portion of the wavefront of light from a distant star intercepted by the Earth. 

We have a plane wavefront, because a small area on the surface of a large sphere is nearly planar.
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What is the shape of the wavefront in each of the following cases:
 Light emerging out of a convex lens when a point source is placed at its focus.

We have a plane wavefront for, light emerging out of a convex lens when a point source is placed at it's focus.
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What is the shape of the wavefront in each of the following cases:
 Light diverging from a point source.

The wavefront is spherical in shape when light is diverging from the point source.
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