Blackline Master 12.4-1
Name:
Date:
Math Connection: Calculating the Speed
of Light in Various Media
Calculate n, the speed of light in a given medium, for each of the media listed in Table 1
on page 524 of the Student Book. Show your work for each problem. You will need to use
c
the equation n = v .
(Hint: The speed of light in a vacuum, c, is 3.00 x 108 m/s.)
Table 1 Index of Refraction for Various Media
Medium
Index of Refraction (n)
Copyright © 2010 by Nelson Education Ltd.
Speed of Light in Medium (v)
Chapter 12 Blackline Master 12.4-1
947
Blackline Master 12.4-1
Name:
Date:
Math Connection: Calculating the Speed
of Light in Various Media (continued)
1. What is the speed of light in pure water?
2. What is the speed of light in quartz?
3. What is the speed of light in a diamond?
4. Which is greater, the speed of light in zircon or glass? By how much?
5. Three transparent materials have different indices of refraction. Material A has an
index of refraction that is greater than B but less than C. Rank the three materials in
terms of the how fast light travelsthrough them. Explain your answer.
948
Chapter 12 Blackline Master 12.4-1
Copyright © 2010 by Nelson Education Ltd.