Skip to content

What is the refractive index of water?

GeneralClass 12AllAnswered 27 Mar 2026
Answer

.

The refractive index of pure water at 20°C and for yellow sodium light (589 nm) is approximately 1.333. This means light travels about 1.33 times slower in water than in a vacuum. This value varies slightly with temperature (decreasing as temperature increases) and wavelength (higher for shorter wavelengths like blue light).

General · Class 12