To DetermineFocal Length of a Concave Mirror

AIM OF THE EXPERIMENT

image of a distant object.
To determine the focal length of a concave mirror by obtaining the
APPARATUS AND MATERIALS REQUIRED
Mirror holder, concave mirror, a small screen fixed on a stand and a measuring scale.
THEORY
For an object at infinity, a concave minor forms a real, inverted and highly diminished image on its focal plane.
For a distant object, the image is formed roughly on its focal plane. As the image formed is real, it can be obtained on
a screen. In this case, the distance between the pole of the mirror and the screen is nearly equal to the focal length of
the concavemirror.Thus, focal length of a concave mirror can be estimated by this method.
PROCEDURE
1. Fix the concave mirror in the mirror holder and place it on the table with its reflecting surface facing an open
window.
2. Place the screen fixed to a stand on the table between concave mirror and the window. Move the screen back
and forth to get a sharp, clear and inverted image of a distant object.
3. Measurethe horizontaldistancebetweenthe pole of the mirror and screen with a measuring scale. Record
your observations in the observation table.
4. Repeat the experiment two more times by obtaining the image of two different distant objects.
5. Find the mean value of the focal length.

Rays from a
distanttree
concave mirror

Screen
Reflecting
Surface

Measuring
Scale
Fig. 4.7. Measurement of focal length of
a concave mirror
OBSERVATIONS AND CALCULATIONS
s.N0. Position of concave mirror (P)
Position of screen (Q) Focal length of concave
J. mirror (Q —P)
2. cm cm
cm
3. cm cm
cm
cm cm
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
Focal length of the
concave mirror,f fl+f2+f3
3 ......cm
 Specimen Observations and Calculations
S.N0 Position of concave mirror Position of screen Focal length of concave mirror

1. cm 20•5 cm f 50
2. 15•0 cm 30•6 cm 30-6-15 •0 = 15-6cm
3. 25-0 cm 40-4 cm f3= 40-4—25-0— 154 cm

Averagefocal length of concave mirror,

1
f = j (fl+f2+f3)
1
(15•5 + 15•6 + 15•4) cm
3
15•5 cm
Refraction of Light Through a Glass Slab
AIMOF THE EXPERIMENT
To trace the path of a ray of light passing obliquely through a rectangular glass slab for different angles
of incidenceand to measure the angle of incidence, angle of refraction and angle of emergence and interpret
the results.
THEORY
a ray of light travels obliquely from air to
glass, it bends towards the normal. It is due to refraction 1

of light. In the figure given below, ABCD is the glass 10

slaband XO is the incident ray in air. 00' is the refracted Glass
ray in glass slab and NOM is the normal to face AB at
the point of incidence O. 1

1
Here, ZXON = Zi (angle of incidence) 1

and LMOO' = Zr (angle of refraction)

At O', the refracted ray enters air from glass. 1
1

N'O'M' is normal at O'

Glass
ZOO'N' = ZMOO' = zr (int. alt. us) D Air c
ZM'O'Y = Ze (angleof emergence) e
Here, O'Y in called emergent ray and O'Y is parallel
to OY'(orXO) i.e., the incident ray.
ARARATUS AND MATERIALS REQUIRED
M'

A rectangular glass slab, drawing board, white sheet

Ofpaper,protractor, a measuring scale, pins, drawing
pins or adhesive tape, pencil.
hOCEDURE
board. Place the glass slab in the middle of the paper and mark its
Fix a white sheet of paper on the drawing
boundary ABCD with a pencil.
the middle of the face AB.
Remove the glass slab. Take a point O near
AB at point O.
Draw a line making an angle of 300 with and P2 through the face CD
pins PI and P2 vertically nearly 5 cm apart. See the images of the pins PI
Fix two of PI and P2. Pins P3 and P4
that and are collinear with the images
and fix two more pins P3 and P4 such
must also be nearly 5 cm apart.
the positions of pins P3 and P4.
Remove the pins and the glass slab. Mark observation table.
Zi, Zr and Ze and record their values in the
6, Complete the diagram as shown. Measure
 7. Repeat the experiment for two more angles of incidence in the range 300 to 600 and record the values of Zi, Zr
and Ze in each case.
Draw NOM normal to face AB at O.
Draw a line XO making an angle between 300 and 600 with the normal NOM. Replace the glass slab on the boundary
mark on the paper.
Observation Table
S.No. Angle of incidence Angle of refraction Angle of emergence
Li Zr Ze
1.
2.
3.

R ESULT AND DISCUSSION

As Zr < Zi in each case, the ray entering from air (rarer medium) to glass (denser medium) bends towards
the normal.
As Zi Ze, the emergent ray is parallel to the incident ray. In other words, the emergent ray is laterally
displaced with respect to the incident ray.
Angle of refraction, Zr increases with increase in the angle of incidence, Zi.
PRECAUTIONS
1. Pins should be fixed in an upright or vertical position.
2. Distance between two adjacent pins should be nearly 5 cm.
3. While fixing pins, make sure that the bases of pins should be in the same straight line.
0
4. The angle of incidence for all the observations should be between 300 and 60
5. All lines should be drawn using a sharp pencil.
6. Use a good quality protractor to measure angles.
7. Immediately after removing the pins, encircle the pin—prickswith a sharp pencil.

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S. No. Angle of incidence Angle of refraction Angle of emergence
Zi Zr Ze
1. 300 200 290
2. 450 280 460
3. 600 360 610

As Zr < Zi in each case, the ray of light entering from air (rarer medium) to glass (denser medium) bends
towards the normal.
As Zi z Ze, the emergent ray is parallel to the incident ray. In other words, the emergent ray is laterally
displaced with repect to the incident ray.
Angle of refraction, Zr increases with increase in angle of incidence, Zi.