Refractive Index is a physical property of solids and liquids. Light travels through different materials at different angles from the entering light beam. For example, light travels through air in a straight line, but when light enters another material, such as a quartz prism, the light gets refracted at a specific angle from the angle the light is travelling before it enters that substance. Refraction is sometimes referred to as "bending light" but this is an incorrect term, as you do not bend the light, you refract the light.
Below are some representative Refractive Index values for chemicals commonly used in the laboratory.
| Chemical Name | Refractive Index (nD) |
|---|---|
| Trifluoroacetic Acid | 1.2850 |
| Methanol | 1.3284 |
| Water | 1.3330 |
| Acetonitrile | 1.3441 |
| Ethyl Ether | 1.3524 |
| 1,1,2-Trichlorotrifluoroethane | 1.3557 (25°C) |
| Pentane | 1.3575 |
| Acetone | 1.3586 |
| Ethyl Alcohol | 1.3614 |
| Petroleum Ether | 1.3650 |
| Methyl t-Butyl Ether | 1.3689 |
| Ethyl Acetate | 1.3724 |
| Hexane | 1.3749 |
| Isopropyl Alcohol | 1.3772 |
| Methyl Ethyl Ketone | 1.3788 |
| Glyme | 1.3796 |
| n-Propyl Alcohol | 1.3856 |
| Heptane | 1.3876 |
| Methyl n-Propyl Ketone | 1.3901 |
| Iso-Octane | 1.3914 |
| n-Butyl Acetate | 1.3942 |
| Methyl Isobutyl Ketone | 1.3957 |
| Isobutyl Alcohol | 1.3959 |
| n-Butyl Alcohol | 1.3993 |
| Triethylamine | 1.4010 |
| n-Butyl Chloride | 1.4021 |
| 2-Methoxyethanol | 1.4021 |
| Cyclopentane | 1.4064 |
| Methyl Isoamyl Ketone | 1.4070 |
| Tetrahydrofuran | 1.4072 |
| Propylene Carbonate | 1.4210 |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 1.4224 |
| Dichloromethane | 1.4241 |
| Cyclohexane | 1.4262 |
| N,N-Dimethylformamide | 1.4305 |
| Isopropyl Myristate | 1.4332 |
| Dimethyl Acetamide | 1.4384 |
| Ethylene Dichloride | 1.4448 |
| Chloroform | 1.4458 |
| N-Methylpyrrolidone | 1.4700 |
| Dimethyl Sulfoxide | 1.4793 |
| Toluene | 1.4969 |
| o-Xylene | 1.5054 |
| Pyridine | 1.5102 |
| Chlorobenzene | 1.5248 |
| o-Dichlorobenzene | 1.5514 |
| 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene | 1.5717 |
Copyright © Dr. Donald L. Robertson (Modified: 10/06/2010)