Blue Simple Project Marketing Proposal

PHYSICS
INVESTIGATORY
PROJECT
DETERMINATION OF
REFRACTIVE INDEX OF
LIQUIDS USING A
HOLLOW PRISM
BY:
GAYATRI BHARGAVA
BOARD ROLL NO:
CONTENTS
1. Introduction 3-4
2. Aim of the Study 5
3. Apparatus 5
4. Theory 6-8
5. Procedure 9
6. Observations 10-11
7. Graph 11 -12
8. Calculations 13
9. Result 14
10. Precautions 14
11. Sources of Error 15
12. Bibliography 15
INTRODUCTION
In optics, a prism is a transparent optical
element with flat, polished surfaces that
refracts light. The exact angles between the
surfaces depend on the application. The
traditional geometrical shape is that of a
triangular prism with a triangular base and
rectangular sides, and in colloquial use “prism”
usually refers to this type. Some types of optical
prism are not in fact in the shape of geometric
prisms. Prisms can be made from any material
that is transparent to the wavelengths for which
they are designed. Typical materials include
glass, plastic and fluorite. Prism can be used to
break light up into its constituent spectral
colours (the colours of the rainbow). Prisms
can also be used to reflect light, or to split light
into components with different polarizations.
Before Isaac Newton, it was believed that

white light was colourless, and that the prism
itself produced the colour. Newton’s
experiments demonstrated that all the colours
already existed in the light in a heterogeneous
fashion, and that "corpuscles” (particles) of
light were fanned out because particles with
different colours traveled with different speeds
through the prism. It was only later that Young
and Fresnel combined Newton’s particle theory
with Huygens’ wave theory to show that colour
is the visible manifestation of light’s
wavelength. Newton arrived at his conclusion by
passing the red color from one prism through
second prism and found the color unchanged.
From this, he concluded that the colours must
already be present in the incoming light and white
light consists of a collection of colours. As the
white light passes through the triangular prism, the
light separates into the collection of colours: red,
orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. This
collection of colours formed by the prism is called
the spectrum. The separation of white light into its
spectrum is known as dispersion.
Dispersion occurs because each colour travels

through the prism at different speeds. Violet
travels the slowest through the prism; hence we
can see it refracting the most. On the other hand,
red passes through at a much fast rate which
makes its angle of refraction less, hence red is too
scarce to be seen.
AIM
To investigate the dependence, of the angle of
deviation on the angle of incidence, using a hollow
prism filled one by one with different transparent
fluids
APPARATUS
Drawing board
White sheets of paper
Hollow prism
Water
Kerosene
Oil
Drawing pins
Geometry box
Thumb pins
Graph papers
THEORY
THEORY
Light changes speed as it moves from one
medium to another (for example, from air into the
glass of the prism). This speed change causes the
light to be refracted and to enter the new medium
at a different angle (Huygens principle). The
degree of bending of the light's path depends on
the angle that the incident beam of light makes
with the surface, and on the ratio between the
refractive indices of the two media (Snell's law).
The refractive index of many materials (such as
glass) varies with the wavelength or colour of the
light used, a phenomenon known as dispersion.
This causes light of different colours to be
refracted differently and to leave the prism at
different angles, creating an effect similar to a
rainbow. This can be used to separate a beam of
white light into its constituent spectrum of
colours. Prisms will generally disperse light over a
much larger frequency bandwidth than diffraction
gratings, making them useful for broad-spectrum
spectroscopy. Furthermore, prisms do not suffer
from complications arising from overlapping
spectral orders, which all gratings have.
Prisms are sometimes used for the internal

reflection at the surfaces rather than for
dispersion. If light inside the prism hits one of the
surfaces at a sufficiently steep angle, total
internal reflection occurs and all of the light is
reflected. This makes a prism a useful
substitute for a mirror in some situations.
MINIMUM ANGLE
OF DEVIATIION
The minimum value of angle of deviation is
called angle of minimum deviation. It is
represented by the symbol D.
For same angle of deviation (D) there are
two values of angle of incidence. One value
equals ‘i’ and other value equals ‘e’. As angle
‘i’ is increased from a small value,
‘e’decreases from large value and angle of
deviation decreases. When angle of deviation
is minimum (D), then, ‘i’ and ‘e’ becomes
equal.

REFRACTIVE
INDEX
OP is the incident ray.

QS is the refracted ray.
RQ is the emergent ray.
i = angle of incidence
r1= angle of refraction inside prism
r2= angle of incidence inside prism
e = angle of emergence
A = angle of prism
D = angle of deviation

The refractive index of the liquidIs given by

the formula:

U=sini/sinr=sin((a+d)/2)/sin(a/2)

PROCEDURE
Fix a white sheet of paper on the drawing board

with help of drawing pins.
Keep the prism and mark the outline of it as
ABC.
Drop a normal PQ on the side AB.
Draw the angle of incidence in accordance
with the normal PQ and place 2 pins so
that they appear to be in the straight line.
Place the prism filled with given sample of liquid
,on the marked outline ABC.
Now take the pins and place them on the side AC so
that all the 4 pins appears to be in same line.
Remove the prism and draw the line joining the
points so obtained.
Repeat this with different liquids and different angle
of incidence
OBSERVATIONS
TABLE 1 WATER

ANGLE OF ANGLE OF ANGLE OF

S.NO
PRISM INCIDENCE DEVIATION
1 60 35 28
2 60 40 23
3 60 45 24
4 60 50 26
5 60 55 28
TABLE 2 KEROSENE OIL

S.NO
1 60 35 44
2 60 40 36
3 60 45 36
4 60 50 35
5 60 55 37
TABLE 3 COCONUT OIL

S.NO
1 60 35 35
2 60 40 33
3 60 45 34
4 60 50 40
5 60 55 44
TABLE 4 COLD DRINK

S.NO
1 60 35 24
2 60 40 23
3 60 45 24
4 60 50 27
5 60 55 28
GRAPHS
WATER
KEROSENE OIL
COCONUT OIL
COLD DRINK
CALCULATIONS
WATER
The refractive index=sin((a+d)/2)/sin(a/2)

= sin((60+23/2)/sin(60/2)
= 1.32
KEROSENE OIL

= sin((60+33/2)/sin(60/2)
= 1.46
COCONUT OIL

= sin((60+34/2)/sin(60/2)
= 1.467
COLD DRINK

= sin((60+27/2)/sin(60/2)
= 1.37
RESULT
WATER
Actual refractive index= 1.33

Experimental =1.32
KEROSENE OIL

Experimental = 1.46
COCONUT OIL
Experimental = 1.467
COLD DRINK

Experimental = 1.37
PRECUATIONS
Angle of incidence should lie b/w 35-60 degree.
Pins should be vertically fixed and should lie in
same line.
Distance b/w two points should not be less than
10mm.
Same angle of prism should be used for all
observation.
Arrow head should be marked to represent
emergent and incident ray.
SOURCES OF ERROR
Pin pricks may be thick.
Measurement of angles may be wrong.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
https://www.britannica.com/technology/prism-
optics
https://www.seminarsonly.com/Engineering-
Projects/Physics/refractive-index.php
https://www.academia.edu/31177662/DETERMIN
ATION_OF_REFRACTIVE_INDICES_OF_VARIOUS
_LIQUIDS_USING_A_HOLLOW_PRISM
https://www.concepts-of
physics.com/optics/refractive-index-of-a-liquid-
using-a-hollow-prism.php

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PHYSICS

2. Aim of the Study 5

11. Sources of Error 15

Before Isaac Newton, it was believed that

Dispersion occurs because each colour travels

White sheets of paper

Prisms are sometimes used for the internal

OP is the incident ray.

The refractive index of the liquidIs given by

Fix a white sheet of paper on the drawing board

ANGLE OF ANGLE OF ANGLE OF

TABLE 2 KEROSENE OIL

ANGLE OF ANGLE OF ANGLE OF

ANGLE OF ANGLE OF ANGLE OF

TABLE 4 COLD DRINK

ANGLE OF ANGLE OF ANGLE OF

The refractive index=sin((a+d)/2)/sin(a/2)

The refractive index=sin((a+d)/2)/sin(a/2)

The refractive index=sin((a+d)/2)/sin(a/2)

The refractive index=sin((a+d)/2)/sin(a/2)

Actual refractive index= 1.33

Actual refractive index= 1.44

Actual refractive index= 1.36

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