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Glite Dictionary
refractivity

refractivity

9.3
The amount a material bends light and other waves
  • noun
  • /ˌrɛfrækˈtɪvɪti/
  • Specialized
translation icon : refractividad
  • The scientist measured the refractivity of the new material to determine its optical properties.
  • refractivity index

Examples

  • Still, it went way beyond that in the anticlimactic refractivity, the visionary hiccup we fostered and factored in.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • In physics class, we learned that the refractivity of glass is higher than that of air.

  • The refractivity index of the solution was calculated to understand how it would bend light.

Synonyms

refractive index
vsrefractivity
  • Specialized
1 6.1

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

expresses the degree of bending rather than the calculation itself
index of refraction
vsrefractivity
  • Specialized
1 6.9

A number showing how much light slows in a material compared to empty space

expresses that property as a degree, not only as a formula
refractiveness
vsrefractivity
  • Specialized
9.8

The amount a material bends light when the light passes through it, like water or glass

expresses that quality as a numeric index measuring light speed change

Surface Forms

refractivity singular
refractivities plural

Morphology

refractivity = refractive (semi-transparent) = refract + ive + ity

Formed by adding the productive noun-forming suffix '-ity' to the adjective 'refractive', yielding the quality or degree related to refraction.

Etymology

Refractivity comes from refract + -ivity, and refract comes from a root that means 'break', as in common words like fraction and fracture, so you can imagine light being slightly 'broken' or 'bent' when it passes into a new material. That's why refractivity measures how much a material bends light.