AIM

To find the refractive indices of (a)glycerin (b)cooking oil

(liquid lenses) by using a convex lens and a plane mirror.
 APPARATUS REQUIRED
A convex lens, a plane mirror, glycerin, cooking oil,
clamp, stand, an optical needle, plumb line, knitting
needle, half metre scale, glass slab, a spherometer.
DIAGRAM
 THEORY
Refraction: The bending of a ray of light when it enters
from one medium to another medium.
Laws of refraction: (a) The incident ray, reflected ray and
normal all lie in the same plane.
(b)For any 2 given pair of media the ratio of the sine of
the angle of incidence to the sine of the angle of
refraction is a constant.
Refractive index: The ratio of the velocity of light in a
vacuum to it’s velocity in a specified medium.
Snell’s law: The ratio of sine of angle of incidence to the
sine of angle of refraction is constant for a pair of media,
called refractive index of second medium with respect to
first medium.
n₂₁=Sini/Sinr
where n₂₁- Refractive index of second medium wrt first
medium.
LENSES MAKERS DERIVATION
Let n₂ be the refractive index of a tin convex lens
bounded by a rarer medium of refractive index n₁.
Let O be a point object lying on the principal axis. A ray of
light OP₁ falling through principal axis will pass
undeviated another ray OA falling on the first refracting
surface xP₁y will refract along AB to get the image at I₁
due to second refracting surface xP₂y the ray will further
refract and final image will be formed at I.
For refraction at xP₁y
n₁/P₁O + n₂/P₁I₁ = n₂-n₁/P₁C₁
For thin lens
P₁ and P₂ coincides with C
n₁/CO + n₂/CI₁ = n₂-n₁/CC₁  1
For refraction at xP₂y
n₁/P₂I - n₂/P₂I₁ = n₂-n₁/P₂C₂
n₁/CI - n₂/CI₁ = n₂-n₁/CC₂  2
1 + 2
n₁/CO + n₂/CI₁ + n₁/CI-n₂/CI₁ = n₂-n₁/CC₁ + n₂-n₁/CC₂
n₁/CO + n₁/CI = (n₂-n₁) [1/CC₁ +1/CC₂]
÷ by n₁
1/CO + 1/CI = (n₂₁-1) [1/CC₁ + 1/CC₂ ]
By sign convention
CO= -u , CI=+v, CC₁=+R₁, CC₂ = -R₂
1/-u + 1/v = (n₂₁-1)[1/R₁-1/R₂]
1/v – 1/u = (n₂₁-1)[1/R₁-1/R₂] 3
If u=∞ , v=f
1/f – 1/∞ = (n₂₁ - 1)[1/R₁-1/R₂]
1/f = (n₂₁ - 1) [1/R₁-1/R₂]
LENSES IN CONTACT DERIVATION.

Consider 2 thin convex lenses of focal length f₁, f₂ held in

contact with each other. Let O be a point object lying on
principal axis. A ray of light passing through principal axis
will pass undeviated. Another ray OA falling on lens L₁ will
refract along AB to get the image at I₁. Due to lens L₂ the
ray will further refract to get final image at I.
For lens L₁ O is the object I₁ is the image therefore object
distance=C₁O=CO=u
(Since lenses are thin C₁ and C₂ will coincide with C)
Image distance=C₁I₁=CI₁=v₁
Therefore, 1/v₁-1/u=1/f₁  1
For lens L₂,
I₁ is the virtual object and I is the image.
Therefore, Object distance= C₂I₁=CI₁=v₁
Image distance=C₂I=CI=v
1/v-1/v₁=1/f₂ 2
1 + 2 =>
1/v₁-1/u+1/v-1/v₁=1/f₁ + 1/f₂  3
Lens combination is replaced by an equivalent lens of
focal length f.
It is selected in such a way that image distance is v for
the object distance u
1/v-1/u=1/f 4
From 3 and 4 =>
1/𝑓 = 1/𝑓₁ + 1/𝑓₂
1/F=1/fg+1/fl
1/fl=1/F-1/fg  1
The focal length of a convex lens is given by
1/fg =(nga-1) (1/R₁-1/R₂)
If R₁=R₂=R, nga=1.5 then 1/fg= (1.5-1)(2/R) fg=R  2
The focal length of plano concave lens is
1/fl= (nla-1)(1/R₁-1/R₂)
If R₂=∞ , then 1/fl=(nla-1)(1/R₁-0)= (nla-1/R₁)- 3
From equation 2 and 3 we get
1/fl= (nla-1/-fg) (For upper spherical surface of plano-
concave lens of water R₁= -fg)
Using equation 1 –(nla-1/fg), 1/F-1/fg -nla= 2-fg/F
If liquid used is water, nwa=2-fg/f=2-R/F
 Procedure
(a) for focal length of convex lens
1. take any one convex lens and find its rough focal
length
2. take a plane mirror and place it on the horizontal base
of the iron stand
3. place the convex lens on the plane mirror
4. screw tight the optical needle in the clamp of the
stand and hold it horizontally above the lens at distance
equal to it’s rough focal length
5. bring the tip of the needle at the the vertical principal
axis of the lens, so that the tip of the needle appears
touching the tip of its image.
6. move the needle up and down and remove parallax
between tips of the needle and its image.
7. measure distance between tip and upper surface of of
the lens by using a plumb line and half metre scale
8. also measure distance between tip and the surface of
its plane mirror
(b) For focal length of the combination
9. take a few drops of transparent liquid on the plane
mirror and put the convex lens over it with its same face
above as before ( a plano concave liquid lens is formed
between plane mirror and convex lens)
10. repeat steps 6,7 and 8
11. record your observations as given below
 OBSERVATIONS
1. Rough focal length of convex lens= 21 cm
2. Table for distance of needle tip from lens and mirror

Arrangement. Distance of needle tip Focal length

x (cm)
From lens surface From plane Mean
x=x₁+x₂
x₁(cm) Mirror x₂(cm)
(cm)

(1) (2a) (2b) (2c) (3)

Without liquid 10 10.8 10.4 Fg=10.4
With liquid 18.5 19.3 18.9 Fo=18.9
(cooking oil)

With liquid 18.3 19.1 18.7 Fgl=18.7

(glycerin)
 CALCULATIONS
1/f₂=1/F-1/f₁,
n=1+R/f₂
n=2-Fg/f
n(oil)=2-10.4/18.9=1.44
n(glycerin)=2-10.4/18.7=1.46
Theoretical refractive index of glycerin=1.51
Experimental refractive index value of glycerin=1.46
Percentage change= Change/Original x 100
Percentage change for glycerin=1.51-1.46/1.51 x 100=
3.31%
Experimental refractive index value of cooking oil=1.47
Theoretical refractive index of cooking oil=1.44
Percentage change for cooking oil=1.47-1.44/1.47 x 100=
2.04%
 PRECAUTIONS
1. The liquid taken should be transparent.
2. Only few drops of liquid should be taken so that its
layer is not thick.
3. The parallax should be removed tip to tip.
 SOURCES OF ERROR
1. Liquid may not be quite transparent.
2. The parallax may not be fully removed.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
www.scribd.com
www.wikepedia.com
www.cbseguide.com
 INDIAN PUBLIC SCHOOL
BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE

Certified to be the bonafide work done by Amaan Malim of

class XII-B in the Physics laboratory during the year 2018-2019.
Date:

P.G.T in Physics
INDIAN PUBLIC SCHOOL
Salmiya-Kuwait

Submitted for all the ALL SENIOR SCHOOL CERTIFICATE

PRACTICAL EXAMINATION held in Physics laboratory at INDIAN
PUBLIC SCHOOL Salmiya, Kuwait.

External Examiner
Date: Seal
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to thank my Physics teacher Mr. Anil
Kumar sir for accepting my project idea, letting me
work on it and for his unconditional support in
making this project a possibility. I would also like to
thank my Physics lab teacher Mrs. Selin Ma’am for
providing tremendous amount of help for allowing
me to use the lab. This project would not have been
possible without their assistance.
-AMAAN MALIM
 INDEX
 AIM
 APPARATUS REQUIRED
 DIAGRAM
 THEORY
 PROCEDURE
 OBSERVATION
 CALCULATION
 RESULT
 PRECAUTIONS
 SOURCES OF ERROR
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
 RESULT
Refractive index of the convex lens (Cooking oil) =1.44
Refractive index of the convex lens (glycerin) =1.46
INDIAN PUBLIC SCHOOL
SALMIYA KUWAIT
PHYSICS INVESTIGATORY PROJECT
LIQUID LENS
CLASS: XII-B
ROLL NO:
DONE BY: AMAAN MALIM