Index of Refraction Calculator

Your details

Pick which quantity you want the calculator to find.
Pick a preset material or choose Custom and enter n1 below.
Pick a preset material or choose Custom and enter n2 below.
Angle of the incoming ray measured from the normal to the surface (0-90 degrees).
deg
Calculated angleRefraction Occurs
19.2107deg

The solved angle (incidence or refraction)

Phase velocity in medium 1299,704,645m/s
Phase velocity in medium 2197,231,880m/s
n1 (medium 1)1.0003
n2 (medium 2)1.52
Total internal reflectionRefraction occurs
19.2107 deg
Shallow<20Moderate20-45Steep45-70Grazing70+

The refracted angle is 19.2107 degrees.

  • Light travels at 2.9970 x 10^8 m/s in medium 1 and 1.9723 x 10^8 m/s in medium 2.
  • Light is moving from a less dense medium to a denser medium, so the refracted ray bends toward the normal.

Next stepFor wavelength-dependent refraction (dispersion), look up the material's Cauchy or Sellmeier coefficients; the values here apply to standard yellow sodium light at 589 nm.

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