Do impurities raise or lower the refractive index of a liquid? Please explain, I can't find it anywhere.
Look at your problem under Organic Chemistry involving refractive index of cyclohexane and toluene. The answer is there. What did adding a material with a higher refractive index do? If you took the higher refractive index and added something with a lower refractive index what would it do?
Impurities can either raise or lower the refractive index of a liquid, depending on the nature of the impurity and its concentration.
To understand why this happens, let's first discuss the concept of refractive index. The refractive index is a measure of how much light is bent or refracted as it passes through a substance. It describes how fast light travels in a particular medium compared to its speed in a vacuum.
Now, when a liquid is pure, its refractive index is often lower compared to when impurities are present. This is because impurities can disrupt the regular arrangement of molecules in the liquid, leading to changes in its optical properties.
In some cases, impurities with higher refractive indexes than the liquid can raise the overall refractive index of the mixture. This is typically observed when the concentration of the impurity is relatively low. The presence of impurities with a higher refractive index causes more light to be bent or refracted, resulting in an increased refractive index for the liquid.
On the other hand, impurities with lower refractive indexes can lower the refractive index of the liquid. This effect is generally observed when the concentration of the impurity is relatively high. These impurities cause less refraction of light compared to the pure liquid, leading to a decreased overall refractive index.
It's important to note that the specific effect of impurities on the refractive index can vary depending on the nature of the impurity, its concentration, and the liquid being considered. Therefore, it's always advisable to consult reliable sources or scientific literature to get accurate information about a specific liquid-impurity system.