Final answer:
To find the refractive index of quartz, use the formula n = c/v, where c is the speed of light in a vacuum (3.00 x 10⁸ m/s) and v is the speed of light in quartz (1.98 x 10⁸ m/s), yielding a refractive index n ≈ 1.52.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the refractive index of quartz, given the speed of light in quartz (1.98 x 10⁸ m/s), we use the formula for index of refraction:
n = c/v
Where:
- n is the index of refraction
- c is the speed of light in a vacuum (approximately 3.00 x 10⁸ m/s)
- v is the speed of light in the material
Plugging in the given values:
n = (3.00 x 10⁸ m/s) / (1.98 x 10⁸ m/s)
Calculating this gives us a refractive index of:
n ≈ 1.52
This result indicates the ratio by which the speed of light reduces as it passes through quartz compared to its speed in a vacuum.