Material dispersion
What Material dispersion means in Physics A-Level, as defined for AQA.
Definitions of Material dispersion
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Reference: AQA
Arises because the refractive index of the core depends on wavelength, so different wavelengths in a source travel at different speeds and arrive at different times.
Arises because the refractive index of the fibre depends on wavelength, so different spectral components travel at different speeds.
Topics that use Material dispersion
- Refraction at a plane surface (AQA A-Level)
Related terms
- Absorption
- Acceptance angle
- Critical angle
- Modal dispersion
- Pulse broadening
- Step-index optical fibre
- Total internal reflection
Using Material dispersion in the exam
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