Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
refractiveness

refractiveness

9.8
The amount a material bends light when the light passes through it, like water or glass
  • noun
  • /rɪˈfræktɪvnəs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : refractividad
  • The refractiveness of water is responsible for the bending of a straw in a glass.

Examples

  • Scientists measure the refractiveness of substances to design better optical lenses.

  • The refractiveness of the glass affects how light passes through it.

  • Different materials have varying degrees of refractiveness that affect how light travels through them.

  • High refractiveness is essential for optical lenses.

  • Scientists measure the refractiveness of substances to design better optical lenses.

  • Different materials have varying degrees of refractiveness that affect how light travels through them.

  • The refractiveness of water is responsible for the bending of a straw in a glass.

Synonyms

refractive index
vsrefractiveness
  • Specialized
1 6.1

A number that shows how much a material slows light compared with empty space

is the inherent material quality that this number quantifies in bending light
refractivity
vsrefractiveness
  • Specialized
9.3

The amount a material bends light and other waves

is the material quality that this measure describes

How Refractive

refractiveness
  • Specialized
9.8
refractor
  • Specialized
6.7

Surface Forms

refractiveness singular
refractivenesses plural

Morphology

refractiveness = refractive (transparent) = refract + ive + ness

The noun is formed by adding the productive suffix '-ness' to the adjective 'refractive', so the meaning is directly derived.

Etymology

The word refractiveness comes from Latin parts re- 'back' and fract 'to break', the same root you see in fracture and fragment. Think of light 'breaking' and changing direction when it passes into a material; that's why refractiveness means how much a material bends light.