Lorentz–Lorenz equation

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Lorentz–Lorenz equation, also known as the Clausius–Mossotti relation and Maxwell's formula, relates the refractive index of a dilute gas to its temperature, pressure, and molar refractivity. The index of refraction n is given by

n \approx \sqrt{1 + \frac{3 A p}{R T}}

where A is the molar refractivity, p is the pressure of the gas, R is the universal gas constant, and T is the (absolute) temperature.

[edit] History

The Lorentz–Lorenz is named after the Danish mathematician and scientist Ludvig Lorenz, who published it in 1869, and the Dutch physicist Hendrik Lorentz, who discovered it independently in 1870.