Question
In what substance in Table 25.1 is the speed of light 2.290×108 m/s2.290\times 10^{8}\textrm{ m/s}?
<b>Table 25.1</b> Index of refraction in various media.
Table 25.1 Index of refraction in various media.
Question by OpenStax is licensed under CC BY 4.0
Final Answer

ice at 20∘ C20^\circ\textrm{ C}

Solution video

OpenStax College Physics for AP® Courses, Chapter 25, Problem 8 (Problems & Exercises)

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Video Transcript
This is College Physics Answers with Shaun Dychko. The speed of light in a substance is 2.290 times 10 to the 8 meters per second and the question is what is the substance? Well we can figure out the index of refraction of the substance by taking the speed of light in a vacuum dividing it by the speed in this substance. So that's 2.998 times 10 to the 8 meters per second divided by 2.290 times 10 to the 8 meters per second and we get an index of refraction of 1.309. So we can look at our table [25.1] and find some material that has that index of refraction and here it is: ice at 20 degrees Celsius has an index of refraction of 1.309. So the substance must be ice at 20 degrees Celsius.