If light travels through a material medium, how is its speed ($v$) related to the vacuum speed ($c$) and the material's refractive index ($n$)?
Answer
$v = c/n$
When light travels through matter, it interacts with atoms causing it to slow down effectively. The reduction in speed is quantified by the refractive index ($n$), such that the speed in the medium is $c$ divided by $n$.
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