Question

the refractive index of kerosene is 1.44 . what is meant by this statement

Answer 1

It means that for a ray travelling in air and enter in kerosene, it's speed become slow and become 1/1.44 times than that in air

Answer 2

Answer:

Refractive index is defined as the ratio between the velocity of light in vacuum to the velocity of light in a given medium( here the medium is kerosene). Since the refractive index of kerosene is 1.44 ( greater than 1 so numerator is greater than denominator), it means that the velocity of light in vacuum is greater than that in kerosene.

Hence, it can be said that as light passes from air to kerosene, its velocity decreases and so kerosene can be considered to be a denser medium with respect to air.