Question

through which of these mediums does light travel the slowest? air diamond vacuum (empty space)

Explanation:

Step1: Recall the relationship between refractive index and speed of light

The formula for the speed of light in a medium is \(v=\frac{c}{n}\), where \(c\) is the speed of light in vacuum (\(c = 3\times10^{8}\ m/s\)) and \(n\) is the refractive index of the medium. As \(n\) increases, \(v\) (the speed of light in the medium) decreases.

Step2: Compare the refractive indices of given media

From the table, the refractive index of vacuum \(n_{vacuum}=1.000\), of air \(n_{air} = 1.003\). For diamond, the refractive index \(n_{diamond}\approx2.42\) (a known value, since diamond has a high refractive - index compared to common media like air and water).
Since \(n_{diamond}>n_{air}>n_{vacuum}\), using the formula \(v=\frac{c}{n}\), the speed of light \(v_{diamond}

Answer:

diamond