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
Recent Examples on the Web
The dye, when mixed with water, modifies the refractive index — a measure of the way a substance bends light — of the aqueous part of the tissue to better match the index of proteins and fats in the tissue.
—
Katie Hunt, CNN, 5 Sep. 2024
But tartrazine dye, through its powerful absorption of blue wavelengths of light, changes the refractive index of water to be much closer to that of fat, Hong says.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 5 Sep. 2024
In such a universe, rulers and yardsticks would never be straight (solid objects would expand and shrink with the temperature gradient) while the refractive index would make light rays appear to travel in curves rather than lines.
—Quanta Magazine, 30 July 2024
Moreover, this universe features a refractive index — a measurement of how light rays bend — that is inversely proportional to the temperature.
—Quanta Magazine, 30 July 2024
The refractive index is directly related to the concentration of chemical constituents within the cells, such as DNA, proteins and lipids.
—Matjaž Humar and Seok-Hyun Yun, Discover Magazine, 27 July 2015
Finally, Noda’s group dealt with the problem of heat altering the device’s refractive index and causing the beam to diverge.
—IEEE Spectrum, 20 June 2023
So his description involves this idea of index matching, where the refractive index of light has to be perfectly matched between the invisible object and the stuff around it.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 17 July 2023
This skeleton is still opaque, because the cell walls bend light to a different degree than the air in the cell pockets does—a value called a refractive index.
—Jude Coleman, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Dec. 2023
Katie Hunt, CNN, 5 Sep. 2024
But tartrazine dye, through its powerful absorption of blue wavelengths of light, changes the refractive index of water to be much closer to that of fat, Hong says.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 5 Sep. 2024
In such a universe, rulers and yardsticks would never be straight (solid objects would expand and shrink with the temperature gradient) while the refractive index would make light rays appear to travel in curves rather than lines.
—Quanta Magazine, 30 July 2024
Moreover, this universe features a refractive index — a measurement of how light rays bend — that is inversely proportional to the temperature.
—Quanta Magazine, 30 July 2024
The refractive index is directly related to the concentration of chemical constituents within the cells, such as DNA, proteins and lipids.
—Matjaž Humar and Seok-Hyun Yun, Discover Magazine, 27 July 2015
Finally, Noda’s group dealt with the problem of heat altering the device’s refractive index and causing the beam to diverge.
—IEEE Spectrum, 20 June 2023
So his description involves this idea of index matching, where the refractive index of light has to be perfectly matched between the invisible object and the stuff around it.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 17 July 2023
This skeleton is still opaque, because the cell walls bend light to a different degree than the air in the cell pockets does—a value called a refractive index.
—Jude Coleman, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'refractive index.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Refractive index.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refractive%20index. Accessed 17 Sep. 2024.
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