LAB #4 - Refraction
Title: Light(Refraction)
Aim: To investigate the relationship between the angle of incidence and the
corresponding angles of refraction for glass.
Apparatus:
• Glass (Perspex) Block
• ruler
• paper
• protractor
• optical pins
• sharp pencil
• optical board Diagram:
Procedure:
1. Tack the paper onto the optical board. Place the glass block in the centre of the
paper and draw the outline of the glass block in pencil.
2. Use a protractor to draw in a normal on the middle of the long side of the block.
Label the intersection of the normal and the glass block as point O.
3. Use the protractor to measure out and draw in angles of incidence, i, of 10°, 20°,
30°, 40°, 50°, and 60°. Extend the lines to the edge of the paper.
4. On the 10° line, place two pins P1 and P2 upright, so that P1 is as close to the
edge of the paper as possible and P2 is as close to the block as possible.
5. Looking through the glass block at the images of P1 and P2, turn your head in the
position where the image of P1 is directly behind the image of P2. Place a pin P3
close to the block so that it appears to be in line with the images of P1 and P2.
6. Place a fourth pin P4 close to the edge of the page, so that it is in line with P3 and
the images of P1 and P2.
7. Remove the pins and place and X over the holes for pins P3 and P4 that have the
correct alignment. Remove the block as well.
8. Draw a line through the pinholes and extend it back to the glass block (point O’).
This represents the emergent ray.
9. By connecting point O to point O’), draw in the refracted ray. Draw arrows on
incident and emergent rays indicating the direction in which the light travels. Use
the protractor to measure the angle of refraction, r, and record r and its
corresponding angle of incidence, i.
10. Repeat procedure for all the angles of incidence drawn.
11. Plot a graph of sin i against sin r and find its gradient.
Observations:
angle of incidence (i)/° angle of refraction (r)/° sin i sin r
10
20
30
40
50
60
Discussion:
1. What does the gradient of the graph represent?
2. What is the name of the law this experiment demonstrate?
3. Define refraction.
4. Discuss any precautions and sources of error in this experiment.
Conclusion:
Reflections:
Mark Scheme
Skill Assessed: M/M Marks
Awarded
Outline of block is drawn accurately (1) with a sharp pencil (1)
Base line of protractor is placed directly on mirror line to draw angles (1)
Pins are placed exactly on incident line (1)
Pins are placed far apart (1)
Incident and Rrefracted lines are drawn exactly on pins (2)
All lines drawn exactly on pinholes (2)
More than half of the lines drawn correctly (1)
Less than half (0)
Student is positioned in a manner where the image seen through the glass block
showing one pin blocking the other (1)
Pin (refracted) is placed directly in front of image seen through mirror (1)
Angles of refraction are measured accurately with protractor (1)
Total (10)