Calculating Refractive

Index Using Apparent

Depth
SRISHTI SHEKHAR
XII-B

ROHAN RASTOGI
SRISHTI SHEKHAR
XII-A
XII - B
 Certificate
This is to certify that original and genuine work has been carried
out to investigate the subject matter and the related data
collection and investigation has been completed by
SRISHTI SHEKHAR of class
of Class XIIXII-B
'A',
Board Roll No: _________________
On the topic “Calculating Refractive Index Using Apparent
Depth” for the partial fulfilment of practical examination of CBSE
during the academic session of 201718-2019
Date:

Mr. Praveen Kapoor

P.G.T Physics
P.G.T Physics
BAL BHARATI PUBLIC SCHOOL
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to thank all those people who have helped me
throughout my project and made me successful in completing
this project work.
I would like to thank my Physics Teacher who helped and guided
me throughout this project, as well as encouraged me to complete
this project. I would also thank my friends and classmates who
helped me and provided me all the necessary information that
was needed to complete this project.
At last, I would give my greatest gratitude towards my parents.
Without their help, encouragement and undivided support it
would have been almost impossible for me to complete this
project. My parents helped me in all the ways and means they
could have. So, a special thanks to them.
 INDEX

S. No. Topic Page

1 Aim 1

2 Introduction : Refraction 2

3 Laws of refraction 3

4 Refractive index 4

5 Apparent Depth 5

6 Different colours 6

7 Combination of liquids 7-8

8 Experiment 9-10

9 Observations 11-12

10 Result 13

11 Conclusion 14

12 Bibliography 15
 Aim
• Using the concept of apparent depth, calculate refractive
indices of different liquids such as:
 Water
 Glycerine
 Glass for different colours
• To study refractive index of a combination of liquids.

1
 REFRACTION

In optics, refraction is a phenomenon that often occurs when light

waves travel from one medium to another at an oblique angle. At
the boundary between the media, the wave's velocity is altered,
usually causing a change in direction. For example, a light ray will
refract as it enters and leaves glass, as there is a change in refractive
index. A ray travelling along the normal (perpendicular to the
boundary) will suffer change in speed, but not direction. Refraction
still occurs in this case (by Snell's Law as angle of incidence will be
0°).

From the portion of the spoon submerged in water, light travels from water to air. This light ray changes medium and
subsequently undergoes refraction. As a result, the image of the spoon appears to be broken

2
LAWS OF REFRACTION
The following are the laws of refraction of light:

1) The incident ray, the refracted ray and the normal to the
interface of two transparent media at the point of incidence, all
lie in the same plane.

2) The ratio of sine of angle of incidence to the sine of angle of

refraction is a constant, for the light of a given colour and for
the given pair of media. This law is also known as Snell’s law of
refraction.

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 REFRACTIVE INDEX
In optics, the refractive index or index of refraction (n ) of a
material is a dimensionless number that describes how light
propagates through that medium. It is defined as:

Where c is the speed of light in vacuum and v is the velocity of

light in the medium. For example, the refractive index of water is
1.333; meaning that light travels 1.333 times faster in a vacuum
than it does in water.
The refractive index determines how much light is bent, or
refracted, when entering a material. This is the first documented
use of refractive indices and is described by Snell's law of
refraction, n1 sinθ1 = n2 sinθ2, where θ1 and θ2 are the angles of
incidence and refraction, respectively, of a ray crossing the
interface between two media with refractive indices n1 and n2.
The refractive index can be seen as the factor by which the speed
and the wavelength of the radiation are reduced with respect to
their vacuum values: the speed of light in a medium is v = c/n,
and similarly the wavelength in that medium is λ = λ0/n, where
λ0 is the wavelength of that light in vacuum. This implies that
vacuum has a refractive index of 1, and that the frequency
(f = v/λ) of the wave is not affected by the refractive index. It is
the property of the source.

4
 Apparent Depth
Picture shows the difference between the real depth and apparent depth
of the object under water. We see the objects closer than their real depth
to the surface. We see objects only if the rays coming from them reaches
our eyes. In this picture, ray coming from the fish reaches the observer’s
eye after refraction. Thus, observer sees the image of the fish at the
distance Da from the surface which is the apparent depth of the fish.
These are all results of the refraction of light. Following diagram helps us
to calculate this apparent depth of the object under different mediums.

As you can see refractive index of the water is equal to the ratio of real
depth of fish to the apparent depth of it. More general form of our
equation is given below:

5
 Different Colours
A light ray is refracted (bent) when it passes from one medium to
another at an angle and its speed changes. Because different wavelengths
(colors) of light travel through a medium at different speeds, the amount
of bending is different for different wavelengths. For greater
wavelengths the refractive index of a material is less as compared for
smaller wavelengths. Therefore, Violet is bent the most and red the least.

Mathematically, we know that according to Snell’s law of refraction, the

refractive index of any medium 1 with respect to another medium 2 is
given by:
𝐧𝟐 𝐯𝟏
=
𝐧𝟏 𝐯𝟐
But v = 𝞴f, where v is the wave velocity, f is the frequency and 𝞴 is the
wavelength of the wave. On refraction, wavelength and velocity change,
whereas frequency does not. Hence,
𝐧𝟐 𝛌𝟏
=
𝐧𝟏 𝛌𝟐
The colour of light or the wave having a higher wavelength will get
refracted less. So, red with a higher wavelength gets refracted lesser than
violet which has a comparatively low wavelength.
6
 Combination Of
liquids
If a vessel is filled with three immiscible liquids of refractive indices n1,
n2, n3 then the apparent depth is given by:

𝐝𝟏 𝐝𝟐 𝐝𝟑
DA = + +
𝐧𝟏 𝐧𝟐 𝐧𝟑

Where d1, d2, d3 represent the heights of liquids.

7
Verification:
Material Depth(cm) Refractive Index(n)
Oil 3 1.46
Water 2.1 1.33

𝟑 𝟐.𝟏
DA = + = 2.05+1.58=3.63
𝟏.𝟒𝟔 𝟏.𝟑𝟑

Experimentally,
DR = 5.1
∆D=1.5
DA = 3.6

PRECAUTIONS

P
1. The scale should be vertical.

2. the beaker should be placed on flat base.

3. Avoid parallax error

12 8
 EXPERIMENT
Aim: Calculating Refractive Index Using Apparent Depth.
Material Required: coin, scale,graph paper
Apparatus Required:
 Glass slab
 Beakers
 Oil
 Scale
 Water
 Glycerine

Theory
The refractive index of an object is:
𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐡
𝛍=
𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐡

9
8
PROCEDURE:

1) Place a coin at the bottom of the beaker.

2) Fill the beaker with water and measure the depth. This is DR.

3) Observe the beaker from above.

4) Use a piece of paper to measure the rise in the height of the coin
with respect to the base. This gives us ∆D.

5) Calculate Apparent depth using DA = DR - ∆D.

6) Calculate refractive index (µ) using the above formula.

7) Repeat the above procedure for different materials.

9
PRECAUTIONS

OBSERVATION TABLE
Least count of scale = 1cm /10= 0.1 cm =1 mm.

S. No. Material DR ∆D DA (cm)

(cm) (cm) (DR - ∆D)
1. Water 10 2.3 7.7
2. Glycerine 1.8 0.6 1.2
3. 5 1.9 3.1
Oil
( for violet
colour)
4. Glass slab 5 1.7 3.3
(for red
colour)

10
CALCULATIONS
Refractive index (by using given formula) =
S. No. Material Refractive Index
(DR/ DA)
1. Water 10/7.7 = 1.3
2. Glycerine 1.8/1.2 = 1.5
3. Glass
Oilslab 5/3.1 = 1.61
4. ( for Glass slab
violet colour)
4. Glass slab 5/3.3 = 1.52
(for red colour)

11
 RESULT
The refractive indices of the following substances are:

• Water : 1.3
• Glycerine : 1.5
• Oil slab (violet light): 1.61
Glass
• Glass slab (red light) : 1.52
The law for the refractive index of the combination of liquids is also
successfully verified.

13
 CONCLUSION
This project work has not only helped me to increase my knowledge but
also helped me to view the content with a different perspective. It has
given me a different insight on how refraction through glass slab occurs;
I gained more knowledge about the refraction of light. I gained more
knowledge about the real and apparent depth concept which is quite
visible in our day to day life. Apart from its impact on my academics, this
project will help me in other aspects of life also.
Therefore, I express my hearty gratitude once again to all those
individuals involved in making of this project, specially my Physics
Teacher who continuously mentored, guided and helped me in
completing this project work.

14
 Bibliography
The contents were taken from the help of following sources:
 NCERT Book
 Physics Lab Manual
 www.wikipedia.org
 www.scribd.com
 www.cbse.nic.in

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