Refractive Index of the Elements

The refractive index (n) of a material is a dimensionless number defined as the ratio of the speed of light in vacuum to its phase velocity in the medium (n = c / v). A higher refractive index indicates slower light propagation through the material.

Data available for 19 of 118 elements. Highest: Carbon (2.417). Lowest: Helium (1.000035).

Visualize Refractive Index in the periodic table →
118 elements
Refractive Index of the Elements
Symbol
6CarbonC2.417
30ZincZn1.00205
33ArsenicAs1.001552
15PhosphorusP1.001212
35BromineBr1.001132
16SulfurS1.001111
52TelluriumTe1.000991
80MercuryHg1.000933
34SeleniumSe1.000895
17ChlorineCl1.000773
54XenonXe1.000702
36KryptonKr1.000427
7NitrogenN1.000298
18ArgonAr1.000281
8OxygenO1.000271
9FluorineF1.000195
1HydrogenH1.000132
10NeonNe1.000067
2HeliumHe1.000035
3LithiumLi—
4BerylliumBe—
5BoronB—
11SodiumNa—
12MagnesiumMg—
13AluminumAl—
14SiliconSi—
19PotassiumK—
20CalciumCa—
21ScandiumSc—
22TitaniumTi—
23VanadiumV—
24ChromiumCr—
25ManganeseMn—
26IronFe—
27CobaltCo—
28NickelNi—
29CopperCu—
31GalliumGa—
32GermaniumGe—
37RubidiumRb—
38StrontiumSr—
39YttriumY—
40ZirconiumZr—
41NiobiumNb—
42MolybdenumMo—
43TechnetiumTc—
44RutheniumRu—
45RhodiumRh—
46PalladiumPd—
47SilverAg—
48CadmiumCd—
49IndiumIn—
50TinSn—
51AntimonySb—
53IodineI—
55CesiumCs—
56BariumBa—
57LanthanumLa—
58CeriumCe—
59PraseodymiumPr—
60NeodymiumNd—
61PromethiumPm—
62SamariumSm—
63EuropiumEu—
64GadoliniumGd—
65TerbiumTb—
66DysprosiumDy—
67HolmiumHo—
68ErbiumEr—
69ThuliumTm—
70YtterbiumYb—
71LutetiumLu—
72HafniumHf—
73TantalumTa—
74TungstenW—
75RheniumRe—
76OsmiumOs—
77IridiumIr—
78PlatinumPt—
79GoldAu—
81ThalliumTl—
82LeadPb—
83BismuthBi—
84PoloniumPo—
85AstatineAt—
86RadonRn—
87FranciumFr—
88RadiumRa—
89ActiniumAc—
90ThoriumTh—
91ProtactiniumPa—
92UraniumU—
93NeptuniumNp—
94PlutoniumPu—
95AmericiumAm—
96CuriumCm—
97BerkeliumBk—
98CaliforniumCf—
99EinsteiniumEs—
100FermiumFm—
101MendeleviumMd—
102NobeliumNo—
103LawrenciumLr—
104RutherfordiumRf—
105DubniumDb—
106SeaborgiumSg—
107BohriumBh—
108HassiumHs—
109MeitneriumMt—
110DarmstadtiumDs—
111RoentgeniumRg—
112CoperniciumCn—
113NihoniumNh—
114FleroviumFl—
115MoscoviumMc—
116LivermoriumLv—
117TennessineTs—
118OganessonOg—

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