ARMY PUBLIC SCHOOL, BOLARUM
PHYSICS INVESTIGATORY PROJECT
2024-25
TOPIC: TO FIND REFRACTIVE INDEX OF DIFFERENT
LIQUIDS USING HOLLOW PRISM
NAME: MEGHA SHYAM KARDAK
CLASS: XII
SECTION: B
ROLL NO:
GUIDED BY: MRS Jayalaxmi
BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE
THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT THIS PROJECT TO FIND REFRACTIVE INDEX
OF DIFFERENT LIQUIDS USING HOLLOW PRISM
IS THE RESULT OF EFFORTS PUT IN BY
______________________ OF CLASS XII BEARING ROLL
NUMBER___________________________STUDYING IN ARMY
PUBLIC
SCHOOL, BOLARUM AND APPEARING FOR PRACTICAL
EXAMINATION AISSCE 2024-25 FOR CHEMISTRY
SIGNATURE OF
INTERNAL EXAMINER:
SIGNATURE OF PRINCIPAL:
SIGNATURE OF EXTERNAL EXAMINER:
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express my immense gratitude to
my Physics teacher Mrs. Jayalakshmi for the help
and guidance she provided for completing the
investigatory project on the topic.
I also thank my parents who gave their ideas and
inputs in making this project.
Most of all I thank our Principal Mrs. Smitha Govind
and our school management for the immense
encouragement that has made this project
successful.
INDEX
Aim
Apparatus Required
Theory
Procedure
Observations
Conclusions
Precautions
Bibliography
Aim
To find out the refractive indices of different liquids using a
hollow prism
Apparatus Required
Hollow glass prism
Various liquids like water, carbon disulphide, Benzaldehyde
etc.
Bell pins
Drawing board
THEORY
PRISM: A prism functions as a transparent optical
element featuring flat, meticulously polished surfaces that
efficiently refract light. These prisms are typically crafted
from transparent materials like glass, plastic, and fluorite.
They possess the ability to disperse incident light into its
constituent spectral colors. Additionally, prisms are
versatile tools capable of both reflecting light and
separating it into distinct components distinguished by
varying polarizations.
REFRACTION:
In a homogenous medium light travel along a straight path.
But when a ray light travels from one transparent medium to
another, it bends while crossing the surface separating the two
mediums.
The phenomenon of change in path of light, as it goes from
one medium to another, is called refraction. When a ray of
light passes from an optically rarer medium to a denser
medium, it bends towards the normal and when it travels from
a denser medium to rarer medium, it bends away from the
normal.
REFRACTION THROUGH A PRISM: -
➢ The refractive index of the
liquid is given by the formula:
Where:
refractive index of the liquid = the angle of minimum
deviation
r = angle of refraction i = angle of incidence A =
angle of prism
FLUIDS
Water 1.33
Benzaldehyde 1.546
Sulphuric acid 1.355
PROCEDURE
1. Start by securing a white sheet of paper onto the
drawing board using drawing pins.
2. Place the prism on the paper and outline it, labelling
the vertices as ABC.
3. Drop a perpendicular line PQ from point A to side
AB of the prism.
4. Draw the incident angle relative to the normal PQ
and position two pins so they align in a straight line with
this angle.
5. Introduce a prism containing a specific liquid
sample onto the marked outline ABC.
6. Move the pins to side AC of the prism such that all
four pins now appear to form a straight line.
7. Remove the prism and connect the points where
the pins were placed to obtain a line.
8. Label and mark the diagram accordingly as per the
observed configuration.
9. Repeat the experiment using different liquids and
adjusting the angle of incidence each time.
Observation
• Benzaldehyde
S.no a º(angle of i º (angle of d º (angle of
prism) incidence) deviation)
1 60 30 45
2 60 35 42
3 60 37.5 40
4 60 39 42
5 60 40 45
U=sin ((60+40)/2)/sin (30)
= 1.504
• Water
S.no a º (angle of i º (angle of d º (angle of
prism) incidence) deviation)
1 60 30 25
2 60 35 22
3 60 40 20
4 60 45 22
5 60 50 25
6 60 55 28
U=sin((60+22)/2)/sin (30)
= 1.306
• Dil. Sulphuric Acid
S.no a º(angle of i º (angle of d º (angle of
prism) incidence) deviation)
1 60 20 33
2 60 30 30
3 60 35 25
4 60 40 29
5 60 45 30
U=sin ((60+25)/2)/sin (30)
= 1.351
Conclusion
Refractive indices at room temperature:
• Benzaldehyde
o Actual: 1.546
o Experimental: 1.504
• Water
o Actual: 1.33
o Experimental: 1.306
• Dil.Sulphuric acid
o Actual: 1.355
o Experimental: 1.351
Precautions
• 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
The pins may not have been fixed vertically.
The feet of the pins may not be in the line.
The angle of deviation may not have been measured
correctly
The curve joining the various points of the graph may not
be a smooth free hand curve.
The distance between the pins may be small.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
• physicsforlife.com {physicsforlife.com}
• earthphysics.com
• https://www.concepts-of-physics.com/optics/refractive-index-of-
a-liquid-using-a-hollow-prism.php
• https://www.ucc.ie/en/physics/study/thelaboratories/thirdyearph
ysicslab/determinationofrefractiveindexusingaprism/
• https://www.academia.edu/31177662/DETERMINATION_OF_REFR
ACTIVE_INDICES_OF_VARIOUS_LIQUIDS_USING_A_HOLLOW_PRIS
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