of light()'=58934)

materiar of the prism for the given wavelength

of the
ine the refractive index
or SK001
s INDOSAW SKO24

r*ula u*ed
ffitr" ;;;x or prism
'A||'li fun'f' "'
---T-
. =------;,;-;';;-
of Pris1-
where, A is the angle -'
deviation'
6. is the angle of minimum
sourcesiscarred
risht
on
On
i#u,
instru
instru
_. ^aa, tn
r ..^aar rnc2S"fo +ha
,n rnc2Sltfo try
w
the \^,
a
a
on a .,
nt.opttCal ylit! plll
llqf l[ til I rrrlvv - t - 1'--
OT ll
sS oT
;,":xfl::i5:,H3.?:;fli:l's is usuallv a
elelrrvr 't' '"".'-'ne-aSUfem-ent 3;tfr"?:f,
diffefent
differenl
On "oilt!'=i'"*:ilXl*:'"$':11['i
"pttui"rf*"nt'
,"parated' rt""t""tn-ent of
spectrometer.
spectrometer.
sePa ililfr"f Once separated'
wavelengthr.'jil*
ividual wavelengths.
grailng, ru.rvPq
grating, to eter.
eter. __-Jernier
(l(rr rs vY'u ' e "r -
wavelength can oe
i sodium Light
ear;fiPtian of APPa . Source

s.J
-----Prism
Table ,-,nll,

Vern er

\"rni",

instrument is
and a terescope' The description of the
prism tabre
of a coilimator, a
The instrument consists
as follows: vertical rectangular slit
of
P
rt consists of a horizontar ;;i;'r" arrangelent. '
h' This tube can be
moved i 1''i'tlioiit fixed bn a rigid '
tonu"*-i"ns L is Provided
stand.

:lill:f"1;f:1,1i"l13':'ilFi1"-":H'il:;H'ffUxlJl3H?31"#13'*::'331:J:f:![:3:':::i"ffil

;*:[r-lj"*";""'"
in" t"r"t.ope is mounted on
"
u"-1'-:1
using a racK
i"jil:$?ff::li'"ji&l::?'?:''3::'Y3l]E[";
Thetelescope lsTocused
 tl{t trsAfl
lF*laaUa E*A*
Thwqrv
Refractioh through a pris(n
When a ray of monochromatic light passes through a prism, it is refracted twice, once as it enters and
again as it leaves the prism as shown in ria 2
Df dsvial*xl
d

'ffir
TheangleAbetweenthetwosurfaceswhererefractiontakesplaceiscalled PrismAngel.Theintersection
of the two refracting planes is called the Refracting Edge of the Prism. The Prism Base is that side of the
beam which is opposite to prism angle . (lt may be pointed out that the prism does not rest on the base
during its normal operation.
N, and Nrare normals to the prism faces. The angle 6 between the incident and emergent ray is defined as
the angle of deviation. For a given prism the angle of deviation varies with the variation in angle of
incidence. The particular ang.le of deviation depends on the prism angle, the index of refraction of the
prism atthatwavelength and the angle of incidence.

Tneangle6,isaminimum, iftheangleofemergenceisegualtotheangleofincidence.Thisccndiiicnis
found using a spectrometer. When the prism spectrometer is set at minimum deviation for a given
wavelength, we have

s-in (A-t-0.)
2
p=
Sin A/ 2
where, A is the prism angle.6, is the angle of deviation fora particularwavelength.
Wra*edare
I . ADJ USTMENT OFA SPECTROMETER
(i) :

Point the telescope objective towards a wall a few metres away. Adjust rack & pinion arrangement P,
of the telescope to get a bright field of view. Now, look for the cross wires in the eyepiece. Move the
eyepiece smoothly in or out till the cross wires are clearly observed. In this position eyepiece is
focused on the cross wires.
(ii) :

a) Levelthe prism table using leveling screws S,, S, S. as shown in Fig. 3

provided on the prism table. Check the leveling using a spirit level. In this
way, the prism table is mechanically leveled.
 il{tlgs fl
WaA*A*
B) Mount the prism on the prism table so that its refractive edge P, coincides with the center of the
prismtable&oneoftherefractingfaces(sayPR)isperpendiculartothelinejoiningtwo leveling
screws S, and S, of the prism table as shown in Fig' 4'

,,--{--'--<-Prism Table
\
-\ edge
-R"fr"",ing

Fig.4

c) llluminate the collimator with sodium light and turn the prism table so as to receive the light on
both faces PR and PQ bounding the refracting angleA'
d) Now, fix the position of the prism table and rotate the telescope so as to receive the light rays
reflected from the face PR.
e) The image of the slit observed through the telescope should lie at the center of the field view.
Using th6 leveling screws S., and S, of the prism table, get the image of the slit at the center of the
field of view.
f) Now turn the telescope to get the reflected image of the slit from face PQ of the prism. Adjust the
leveling screw S. of the prism table such thatthe slit image lies atthe centerof the field of view.

1i ii)
e parallel rays and collimator to give
parallel ray,
a)llluminatethecollimatorslitwithsodium light.Keeptheslitwidthassmallaspossible.
b)' place a prism on the prism table in such a way that the light beam is incident on one of its
refractingfaces PQ is refracted & emergeslromtheotherface.
c) Observe the refracted slit image through the telescope and set the prism in minimum deviation
position,

To set the prism in minimum deviation position:

(i) Genly rotate the prism table in a direction so as to decrease the value of deviation suffered by
the refracted raY.
(ii) On rotating the prism table, the refracted slit image first moves to one side, then comes to a
just begins to
momentarily r"si a then turns back. This position at which the refracted slit image
turn back, is known as minimum deviation position'

d) Now gently rotate the prism table so that the refracting

edgebf prism moves towards the telescope in position
P'Q'R'as shown in fig. 5.
e) In this position we get a blurred image of the slit. Now adjust rack &
pinion arrangement P, of the telescope to get a well defined
Fig, 5
image of the slit.
 TT{I1trSINTT
WaEd^*
f) Rotate the prism table so that the prism moves towards the collimator i.e. ln the position PQR
shown in fig.
g)Atthispositiontheslitimagebecomesblurred.Adjusttherack & pinionarrangement P, of t h e
collimator to get a well defined image of the slit in the field of view.
h) Repeat steps (d) to (g) till the slit image remains well defined for both the positions of the
prism.
(i) Now both telescope & collimator have been adjusted.
(j) Now the spectrometer is fully adjusted.

a) For determination of the least count of the verniers attached to the spectrometer, determine the
smallest main scale division of the main circularscale. Let it be m"
b) Count the total number of divisions marked on the vernier scale. Let it be n.
c)The least count of vernier scale is

--_--__x ---___ = y"

mn
eg. Let the smallestmain scale division of the main circular scale be 1 12'
Let the total number of divisions marked on Vernier scale be 30
. . Least count of vernier
1110
x ___ =;;"=,,
(1il)To DETERMINE THE ANGLE OF PRISM 'A:

a) place the prism on the prism table as explained previouslywith its refracting angle'A
towards
' the collimator & refraciing eOge P at the center of prism table as shown in Fig. 6'
Collimator Center Axlo

Pr sm Table

-.- 2A

.. Fig.6

face PQ of
b) Move the telescoPe to one side to receive the light which is reflected from the
the prism.
 llVlTtrStXfl
E*,tdUa E*A*

c) Carefully position the telescope until the slit image is in the center of the focal plane of the
telescope and the cross wire is aligned with one edge of the slit image.
d) Clamp the telescope in this position No. 1 and note the readings of two verniers.
e)Swingthe telescopearoundtoreceivethelightreflectedofftheother facePR of theprism and
similarly (iii and iv above) note down the readings of two verniers in position No. Z of the
telescope.
f) The difference in readings of the two angular positions is equal to twice the prism angle i.e.2A.
divide this reading in half to obtain the desired prism angleA.

(rv) To pETERM tNE THE ANGLE OF MIN tMUM pEVtATtON :

a)Place the prism on prism table so that its center Telescope Position
No. 1
nearly coincides with the center of the prism ^ ,_ - n-
& one face making angle of about 45d with "o"'t1:: (/h
*---f--

the light coming from the collimator as shown 6 min

fig,7 In this position light coming from collimator

falls on one refracting face PQ of prism and Telescope Position
Fig.7
emerges out of the other refracting face PR. No. 2

b)Rotate the telescope and set it in the position of the slit image formed due to refraction. Now,
slowly turn the prism table in such a direction that in order to keep the slit image in its field of view
the telescope is to be moved towards the direction of the collimator axis. On turning the prism
table in this manner the angle of deviation decreases. On reaching the minimum deviation
position, the slit image comes to rest momentarily and further rotation of the prism table makes
the slit image to move back. Adjust the prism table as well as the telescope until a position is
found where the image just reverses its motion. Repeat this several times until the turn around
position is clearly determined.

c) Clamp the telescope in the position No. 2 and note the readings of both verniers.

d) Remove the prism from the prism table. Move the telescope and position it in the line of the
collimator. See the slit directly, through the telescope and set the vertical cross wire on the slit
image
e) Clamp the telescope in the position No. 1 bnd note the readings of both verniers.

f)The difference between the minimum deviation position (with telescope in position No.2) and the
undeviated direction (with telescope in position N'o. 1) is equal to the angle of minimum deviation
6,.

(V) REFRACTIVE INDEX OF THE MATERIAL OF THE PRISM

By knowing the value of 'A and 6. calculate the refractive index p of the material of the prism.
 ll{lrssNll
WaANA*
bnsrvatiqnt
,eastcountof vernierscale =
Table for angle of Prism 'A
Mean of A
S. No. Vernier Position of telescoPe for Difference
reflection from a-b=24 value 2A

l'' face (a) II"" face (b)

v2

Mean value of angle of Prism 'A =

S, No. t;;;i;; I
TelescoPe Reading Difference
a'- b' = 6,n
Mean value of
6,
I

,iiion oi mi^ituml biibJlltis;

deviation (a') I (b')
'l

Mean value of 5,=

{Ja\*wlattans
(i) Sin (A + 6. )

l[=
Sin A/2
(ii)Exactvalueofpforextradenseflintg|ass(materia|ofprism)=
Calculated value

%Ge error = --!9-*-:lT1-:1y:--T-l-11-YlTl- -- x 100

Exact value
o/o
= ..,...
 II{I'OSATI
fuddaE@A*
ftr**azatrans:
must be set for parallel rays.
1)The telescope and the collimator
2) The prism table should be mechanically & optically leveled'

3)The experiment must be performed in a dark room'

4) The slit should be perfectly vertical and it should be made as
narrow as possible'
(One can used a magnifier and a lamp)'
5) The readings of both verniers should be read carefully.
of the prism table to find the angle of
6)The prism should be positioned with its refractive edge at the center
prism.
possible'
7)The minimum deviation positioned should be found as accurately as
g)All movable parts such as the prism table and telescope move freely if the clamp are loosened.