AIM

To investigate the dependence of the angle of

deviation, on the angle of incidence, using hollow
prism filled, one by one, with different transparent
fluids.

INTRODUCTION
When light is incident on the interface of two
mediums, it deviates from its original path.
This phenomenon is known as refraction. The basic
cause of refraction is the change in the velocity of
light while going from one medium to another.
The velocity of light is different in different
mediums, depending primarily on the density of
the medium. In a denser medium, velocity of light
is lower. Thus, light tends to 'bend' or deviate more
from its original path, which, in turn, implies that
the medium has greater refractive index. By
measuring the angle of deviation and its variation
with angle of incidence, we can find the minimum
angle of deviation. It is possible to calculate the

refractive index of a medium from the value of the

angle of minimum deviation. The liquid under study
is taken in a hollow prism. Four refractions take
place first at the
air -glass interface; second at the glass -liquid
interface; third at the liquid -glass interface and
lastly at the glass -air interface. However, for
simplification, it has been assumed that the glass
has negligible thickness, and only two effective
refractions take place first, when light moves
from air to liquid, and second, when it moves from
liquid to air. The calculations for refractive index
have been done within these premises.

Material Required
Drawing sheet, drawing board, pins, a hollow glass
prism and various liquids under study.

THEORY
Prism : A prism is a portion of transparent
medium bounded by two plane faces inclined
to each other at a suitable angle. The angle A
between them is the refracting angle or the
angle of prism. The line where the two

refracting faces meet is called the refracting

edge of the prism. A section ABC made by the
plane at right angles to the refracting edge of
the prism is called the principal section of the
prism.

Refraction through a prism

A ray of light suffers refraction twice on
passing through a prism and hence deviates
through
a certain angle from its original path.

A. Calculation of angle of deviation :

In the figure, ABC is a principal section of a prism
with angle A as angle of prism. A ray of light

PQ is incident on the face of AB of the prism at

angle i.
It bends towards the normal N 1 0 and is refracted
along QR at angle r. The refracted ray QR is
incident at angle r, on face AC of the prism. It
bends away from normal N20 and emerges along
RS at angle i. In passing through the prism, ray IPS
suffers refraction twice and deviates through angle
LMN= ,
In AMQR,
= ZMQR + LMRQ
= (i1 ri ) + (i2 r2)
= (i1 + i2) (r1 r 2) ...(1)
In AOQR,
ZO + Zr 1 + Zr 2 = 180 degree...(2)
In quadrilateral AQOR,
As ZQ + ZR = 180 (because each angle is 90)
Therefore, LA + LO = 180 (sum of four angles of
quadrilateral is 360)
Using equation (2),
LO + Lr 1 + Zr2 = ZA + ZO
Zr1 + Zr2 = ZA (3)
Put in (1),