PHYSICS PROJECT

On
Determination Of
refractive index of
Different Liquid using a
hollow prism.

PROJECT PREPARED BY:

MRIDUL BHASINXII B
Session : 2015-2016
Boards Roll Number :
Happy Model School

CERTIFICATE

This is hereby to certify that, the original

and genuine investigation work has been
carried out to investigate about the
subject matter and the related data
collection and investigation has been
completed solely, sincerely and
satisfactorily by MRIDUL of CLASS XII B,
Happy Model School , regarding his
project titled
Determination Of refractive index of
Different Liquid using a hollow prism.

Teachers Signature

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

It would be my utmost pleasure to express

my sincere thanks to My Physics Teacher
Mrs.MINAKSHI in providing a helping hand
in this project. Their valuable guidance,
support and supervision all through this
project titled Determination Of

refractive index of Different Liquid

using a hollow prism are responsible
for attaining its present form.

MRIDUL
XII B

CONTENTS
Sl.
No

Item

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Objective
Introduction
Apparatus
Theory
Procedure
Observations
Diagrams
Calculations + Graphs
Precautions
Bibliography

Page No.

OBJECTIVES:

To

study

the

variation

of

the

angle

of

deviation with the angle of incidence using Hollow

Glass Prism and to determine the angle of minimum
deviation.

To find out the refractive index of various liquids

using a Hollow Prism.

INTRODUCTION:
This project is of Investigatory Type. In this
project, a hollow prism has been used to calculate
the refractive index of various liquids. The hollow
prism is filled with liquid and then the experiment is
performed.

APPARATUS:

Drawing Board

Hollow Glass Prism

Sheet of Paper

Graph Paper

Protractor

Drawing Pins

All Pins

Pencil

THEORY:
Refraction :
In a homogenous medium, light travels along a
straight line, but whenever it falls on a surface of
another medium, a very small fraction of it is
reflected back and most of the light passes into the
medium, though with a change of direction. This
phenomenon of the bending of light at the surface of
separation of the two medium is called refraction of
light.

Causes of refraction
This phenomenon of refraction takes place when a
beam of light enters a medium in which light enters
a medium in which light travels with a different
velocity.

Laws Of Refraction
1. The incident ray, the refracted and the normal to
the surface at the point of incidence lie on the same
plane.
2. For any two given media, the ratio of the sine of
the angle of incidence to the angle of refraction is a
constant, where it is the angle of incidence and is
the angle of refraction.

Medium: The surrounding substance through which

the light travels.
For a monochromatic light, the ratio of the sine
the angle of incidence to the sine of angle
refraction is a constant for any two given media.
`I is the angle of incidence, and `r is the angle
refraction, then;

of
of
If
of

Sine( I)
--------------------------------------

Constant

Sine( R)

the constant is called the refractive index.

For most purposes it may be assumed that the
refractive index is with respect to air.
When light
travels from a rarer to a denser medium, it bends
towards the normal and vice versa when it goes from
a denser to a rarer medium. It has been
experimentally shown that

Velocity of light in air

Refractive index of substance =

-----------------------------------Velocity of light in substance

Refraction Through Prism:

A transparent medium bounded by two plane surface
inclined to each other at an angle is called a Prism.
The angle between the two faces is known as the
angle of the prism.

Angle of deviation: The angle through which the

incident ray of light is deviated is called the angle of
deviation. In fact it is the angle between the
emergent ray and the incident ray produced.

Angle of minimum deviation: As the value of the

angle of incidence (1) increases, the angle of
deviation decreases till for a particular value of the
angle of incidence, it attains a minimum value m , is
called the angle of minimum deviation.

Critical angle :
It is that angle of incidence in the denser medium for
which corresponding angle of refraction in the rarer
medium is 90 degree.

1
u

-------------------Sin C

Where,
u
C-

Refractive Index
Critical angle

The four parameters on which angle of deviation

depends are:
1.

Angle of prism

2.

Material of prism

3.

Angle of incidence

4.

Wavelength or color of light

Refraction through Prism :

Theory on refraction through Prism :
When a ray of light passes from one medium into the
other, it either bends towards the normal or away
from the normal in the second medium, depending
upon whether the second medium is denser or rarer
with respect to first medium. This phenomenon is
known as the Refraction of light
For a particular pair of two media, and for a
particular wavelength of light (colour) the ratio of
the sine of the angle of incidence and the sine of the
angle of refraction is a constant quantity called the
Refractive Index of the second medium with respect
to the first medium. It is represented by:
Sin i
u

----------------Sin r

Therefore, the value of the angle of incidence i can

be obtained in terms of the refracting angle A of the
prism and the angle of minimum deviation m and the

angle of refraction r can also be obtained in terms of

the refracting angle A of the prism.
Let ABC represent a section of the glass prism
and let IP be a ray incident at angle i on the first
face AB of the prism at a point P. N1PN is the normal
to this face. The material of the prism is denser with
respect to air, as such the ray will refract in the
direction PQ making an angle r 1 with the normal
reaching the second face AC of the prism at the
point Q making an angle r2with the normal N2QT. The
ray emerging in the direction QE bending away from
the normal and making an angle e with the normal.
If the incident ray IP be produced backwards to
meet QE produced at S, the angle KSQ is called the
angle of deviation is represented by D. Angle BAC is
called the refracting angle of the prism and
represented by A.
To derive the relation:
A+ D = i+e
In SPQ,
PS is produced to K.

 KSQ or D is the external angle.

D

= SPQ + SQP

= i-r1 + e-r

= (i + e) - (r

+ r 2) .............(1)

r1 + r 2 + PTQ = 1800
r

+ r2 = 1800

- PTQ .........(2)

Taking quadrilateral APTQ

APT + AQT = 900 + 900 = 1800
A + PTQ = 1800
A = 180 - PTQ

----------------(3)

From (2) and (3)

r1 + r 2

A...........(4)

From (1) and (4)

i+e-A

A + D

i+e

When the angle of deviation D has minimum

value Dm the following conditions are fulfilled:
i = e
and

r1 - r2 = r (say)

Applying these conditions in Eq.(2) and (3)

A = 2r
A
or

-----

...........(5)

2
and

+ D

= 2

A+Dm
Or

---------

............(6)

Sin
Since u2 =

-------Sin r

We obtain on substituting the value of (i) and (r)

Sin(i)
since

-----------Sin (r)

Sin(A+Dm)/2

= ------------------------

.........(7)

Sin(A/2)
Thus we find that we can use the relation (7) for
determining the refractive index. The experiment
thus consists of finding of the value of the refracting
angle of minimum deviation Dm. For finding the value
of Dm a curve is plotted between the angles of
incidence(1) and their respective angles of deviation
(D).

PROCEDURE:
1.
Fix the sheet of white paper on Drawing board
with cello tape or drawing pins.
2. Draw a straight-line XY nearly at the center of
the sheet parallel to its length. Mark points marked
as O at suitable spacing on the line XY and draw
normal to the line XY at point O. Draw straight line
PQ corresponding to the incident rays that are drawn
at the angles of incidence ranging from 30 to 60 i.e.
for angles 35,40,45,50,55 & 60 using a protractor.
3.

Fill the liquid from open and of prism.

4.
Fix two pins P and Q about 8 cm on the
incident rayline and view its image with one eye
closed from the side of BC of the prism. Fix two pins
R and S on the paper such that the tips of these pins
and the tips of these images of the incident ray pins,
all lie on the same straight line.
5.
Join the points (i.e. pin pricks) S & R and
produce it backwards to meet the incident ray PQ
produced.
Thus
RS
is
the
emergent
ray

corresponding to the incident ray PQ. Draw arrow

heads to show the direction of rays.
6.
Measure the angle of deviation D with
Protractor.
7.
Repeat at steps (4 to 8) for different liquids
having different values of angle of incidence and
measure the corresponding angles of deviation D.
Take at least three values (i) from 300 to 400.
8.
Now place the prism on separate sheet of
paper or on the same sheet at a suitable place and
trace its triangular boundary with a sharp pencil.
Measure the angle A, of the triangle so traced with
the help of protractor.
9.
table.

Record your observation in observation

Plotting of graph between i & D.

Plot a graph between angle i and D for various sets
of values recorded in the observation table.

Precautions
1.

A sharp pencil should be used for drawing the

boundary of the prism.

2.

The separation between the pins should not be

less than 8 cm.

3.

The angle of incidence should lie between 30-45.

4.

The same and prism should be used for all

observations. So an ink mark should be placed on it
to distinguish it as a refracting angle A of the
prism.

5.

The pins should have sharp tips and fixed vertically

and the pin pricks should be encircled immediately
after they are removed.

6.

Proper arrow should be drawn to indicate the

incident, the refracted and the emergent rays.

7.

A smooth curve passing practically through all

the plotted points should be drawn.

OBSERVATIONS
1)

1)

FOR H2O:
Sl.No.

ANGLE OF ANGLE OF
INCIDENC DEVIATIO
E
N

1.

35o

25o

2.

40o

24o

3.

45o

23o

4.

50o

25o

5.

55o

26o

Sl.No.

ANGLE OF ANGLE OF
INCIDENC DEVIATIO
E
N

1.

35o

29o

2.

40o

26o

3.

45o

25o

4.

50o

27o

5.

55o

28o

FOR SPIRIT:

1)

For Glycerin:

4.

Sl.No.

ANGLE OF ANGLE OF
INCIDENC DEVIATIO
E
N

1.

35o

39o

2.

40o

38o

3.

45o

35o

4.

50o

40 o

5.

55o

41o

FOR BENZENE:
Sl.No.

ANGLE OF ANGLE OF
INCIDENC DEVIATIO
E
N

1.

35o

40o

2.

40o

39o

3.

45o

41o

4.

50o

42 o

5.

55o

45o

CALCULATIONS
Formula Applied:-

Sin (A+Dm )
2

-----------------------

Sin (A/2)

1.

Water

Sin (60+23)
2
=

Sin(41.5)

=
-----------------------

-------------------

Sin(60/2)

2.

0.6626
0.5

Sin 30

= 1.33

Spirit
Sin (60+25)
2
u

Sin(42.5)

-----------------------

-------------------

Sin(60/2)
=

3.

0.6756

Sin 30

= 1.35
0.5000

Glycerin

Sin (60+35)
2
u

Sin(47.5)

---------------------------------------------

-------------------------

Sin(60/2)
=

0.7372

---------

Sin 30

1.47

= 0.5

4.

Benzene
Sin (60+39 )
u

2
-----------------------

Sin(60/2)
=

1.52

Sin(49.5)
-------------------

Sin 30

RESULT
(i)

The angle of deviation D first decrease with the

increase in the angle op-of incidence, attains a
minimum value and then increase with further
increase in angle of incidence.

(ii)

The refractive index of :i.

Water

1.33

ii.

Spirit

1.35

iii.

Glycerine =

iv

Benzene

1.47
=

1.52