Final answer:
The indices of refraction for red and violet light in a liquid being 1.305 and 1.322, respectively, show how much each color of light slows down and therefore bends in the medium. A higher index of refraction corresponds to greater bending of light. This concept is key in optics and engineering.
Step-by-step explanation:
Index of Refraction in Different Colors of Light
The index of refraction for a specific medium demonstrates how much the speed of light is reduced in that medium compared to its speed in a vacuum. When a student asks about the indices of refraction for red and violet light in a liquid, they are referring to how these different wavelengths of light bend as they pass through a particular liquid. The given indices - 1.305 for red light and 1.322 for violet light - indicate that this liquid slows down violet light slightly more than red light. This is a common phenomenon, as the index of refraction typically increases with decreasing wavelength. It is significant in many applications, such as designing lenses and understanding the dispersion of light, which leads to the appearance of rainbows and the separation of colors in a prism.
The index of refraction is always greater than or equal to 1, with larger values indicating a greater refraction of light. For example, glass typically has a higher index of refraction than liquid water. This means that light will slow down more and bend more as it passes from air into glass than as it passes from air into water. Understanding how light behaves in different media is crucial for the fields of optics and engineering.