Mission RL3: Optical Density, n, and Refraction

Mission RL3 pertains to the relationship between optical density, the index of refraction, and the speed of light. The mission also targets your ability to predict the direction light will bend at a boundary if given relative density or index of refraction values. The mission consists of 40 questions organized into 10 Question Groups. You must answer one question from each Question Group to complete the mission. The learning outcomes for this mission are ...
 

Learning Outcomes

• The student should be able to relate the index of refraction to the tentative optical density of a material and to the relative speed at which light travels through the material.
• The student should be able to relate the direction which light refracts (either towards or away from the normal) to the relative index of refraction and optical density of the two media.

 

Launch Mission RL3

 

Getting Help

If you are not familiar with this topic, then you should first learn about the topic using our written Tutorial or our Video Tutorial:
 

The Physics Classroom, Refraction and Lenses Unit, Lesson 1, Part d

The Physics Classroom, Refraction and Lenses Unit, Lesson 1, Part e
 

• How does the optical density of a material relate to the speed at which light travels through the material?
• How does the index of refraction of a material relate to the optical density of the material?
• How can the relative speed at which light moves on both sides of the boundary be related to the direction which a light ray bends when crossing the boundary?

 

Video Tutorials:

Optical Density, Light Speed, and n

The Direction of Bending

 

 

 

Question-Specific Help

Each Question Group has its own Help page with information specific to the question. You can access the Help page from within the mission by tapping on the Help Me! icon (textbook). For your convenience, links to those pages are provided below: