CONTENTS

Sl. No
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Item
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

Sheet of Paper

Hollow Glass Prism

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 of the
angle of incidence to the sine of angle of refraction is a
constant for any two given media. If `I is the angle of
incidence, and `r is the angle of refraction, then;
Sine( I)
------Sine( R)

Constant

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

Refractive index of substance =

Velocity of light in air

-----------------------------------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.

[C1]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.

I
= --------Sin C

Where,
- Refractive Index
C- Critical angle
The four parameters on which angle of deviation depends are:
1. Angle of prism ( A )
2. Material of prism ( )
3. Angle of incidence ( I )
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
-------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 r1 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 2
= (i + e) - (r 1 + r 2) .............(1)
r1 + r 2 + PTQ = 1800
r 1 + r2 = 1800 - PTQ .........(2)

Taking quadrilateral APTQ

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

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

From (2) and (3)

r1 + r2 = A...........(4)
From (1) and (4)
D = 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
r = ----...........(5)
2
and A + D m = 2 i
A+Dm
Or i = --------............(6)
2
Sin i
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.
2.

3.
4.

5.

6.
7.

8.

9.

Fix the sheet of white paper on Drawing board with cello tape
or drawing pins.
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.
Fill the liquid from open and of prism.
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.
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.
Measure the angle of deviation D with Protractor.
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 30 0 to
400.
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.
Record your observation in observation table.

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)

FOR H2O:

Sl.No.

ANGLE OF
INCIDENCE

ANGLE OF
DEVIATION

1.

35o

25o

2.

40o

24o

3.

45o

23o

4.

50o

25o

5.

55o

26o

1)

FOR SPIRIT:

1)

Sl.No.

ANGLE OF
INCIDENCE

ANGLE OF
DEVIATION

1.

35o

29o

2.

40o

26o

3.

45o

25o

4.

50o

27o

5.

55o

28o

Sl.No.

ANGLE OF
INCIDENCE

ANGLE OF
DEVIATION

1.

35o

39o

2.

40o

38o

3.

45o

35o

4.

50o

40 o

5.

55o

41o

Sl.No.

ANGLE OF
INCIDENCE

ANGLE OF
DEVIATION

1.

35o

40o

2.

40o

39o

3.

45o

41o

4.

50o

42 o

For Glycerin:

4.

FOR BENZENE:

5.

CALCULATIONS
Formula Applied:Sin (A+Dm )

Sin (A/2)

2
=
-----------------------

55o

45o

1.

Water
Sin (60+23 )

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

Sin(60/2)

Sin(41.5)

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

Sin 30

2.

0.6626
0.5

= 1.33

Spirit
Sin (60+25 )

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

Sin(60/2)
=

3.

Sin(42.5)

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

Sin 30

0.6756

= 1.35
0.5000

Glycerin
Sin (60+35 )

Sin(60/2)

Sin(47.5)

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

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

Sin 30

0.7372
---------

1.47

0.5

4.

Benzene
Sin (60+39 )
=

Sin(49.5)

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

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

Sin(60/2)
=

1.52

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 = 1.47

iv

Benzene

= 1.52