Answer :
Final answer:
The statement that the index of refraction increases with the frequency of light (higher frequency, higher index of refraction) is true, and this effect is called dispersion. It is due to the interaction of light with the electrons in material and the variation of light speed in different media, measured by n = c/v.
Explanation:
The statement 'The index of refraction varies slightly with the frequency of light; in general, the higher the frequency, the higher the index of refraction' is true. This phenomenon is known as dispersion, and it occurs because different frequencies of light interact differently with the electrons within a material, affecting how much the light is slowed and, consequently, the index of refraction. For instance, a type of glass could have an index of refraction of 1.49 for 695 nm light (red), but a higher index of 1.51 for 405 nm light (blue). The index of refraction, n, is a measure of how much a material reduces the speed of light relative to the speed of light in a vacuum, and it's calculated by the formula n = c/v, where c is the speed of light in a vacuum and v is the speed of light in the material.
The frequency dependence of the index of refraction leads to the breaking up of white light into its constituent colours when passing through a medium like a prism. The higher frequency (and thus lower wavelength) violet light is refracted more than the lower frequency red light. This is a key concept in the field of optics and is instrumental in understanding how lenses, prisms, and other optical devices function.
