[Tutor] Hi there, have a question for a side project in physics.....

[Siddharth Sehgal]

Hi there


I am a novice python user and am a physics masters student. I am trying to use the Sellmeier Equation to calculate a refractive index. The coefficients of this equation are decimals to a large number of sig figs ( i.e B1 = 1.03961212, B2 = 0.231792344, C1 = 6.00069867×10−3 ... and so on) in the sellmeier formula there is a lot of fractions, multiplication and squaring of these numbers. I originally state them as floats. However such a process apparently cannot be done with "floats" like these. What do i do? PLEASE NEED HELP!

The actual equation is below screen shotted


Many thanks, I look forward to your response, 

THIS IS NOT HOMEWORK BY THE WAY, I just want to use this program as it saves a lot of writing on paper. 


Siddharth Sehgal 
MSc Student in Physics 

SUNY - Stony Brook University