What effect does an increase in temperature have on the refractive index of a medium?

What effect does an increase in temperature have on the refractive index of a medium?

• A. It causes the refractive index to remain constant
• B. It generally decreases the refractive index
• C. It increases the refractive index
• D. It doubles the refractive index

Answer: (B)

An increase in temperature typically causes an increase in the energy of the molecules within a medium, which leads to a change in its density. As temperature rises, the medium's molecules tend to move further apart, resulting in a decrease in the medium's density. The refractive index of a medium is defined as the ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum to the speed of light in that medium. When the density decreases, the speed of light in that medium increases, leading to a decrease in the refractive index. This relationship is a fundamental principle in optics, as it directly relates molecular motion and density to how light interacts with various materials.

An increase in temperature typically causes an increase in the energy of the molecules within a medium, which leads to a change in its density. As temperature rises, the medium's molecules tend to move further apart, resulting in a decrease in the medium's density. The refractive index of a medium is defined as the ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum to the speed of light in that medium. When the density decreases, the speed of light in that medium increases, leading to a decrease in the refractive index. This relationship is a fundamental principle in optics, as it directly relates molecular motion and density to how light interacts with various materials.