MAYOOR CHOPASNI SCHOOL, JODHPUR
Subject Enrichment Activity/Session – 2024-25
SCIENCE/CLASS-X
Student Name:___________________ Roll No.: Date:
Aim:
To trace the path of the rays of light through a glass prism.
Theory:
A prism is defined as a polyhedron with a triangular base and three rectangular lateral surfaces. It
is used as an optical object to study the behaviour of white light when it is passed through it. The
light bends at various angles like an angle of incidence, angle of reflection, angle of refraction, and
angle of deviation.
Materials Required:
A white sheet Soft board Thumb pins 4-6 all pins Prism, Pencil Scale Protractor, Drawing board
Diagram:
Procedure:
1. Fix a white sheet on a drawing board using drawing pins.
2. Place the triangular prism resting on its triangular base. Using a pencil, draw the outline of the
prism.
3. Draw NEN normal to the face of the prism AB. Make an angle between 30° and 60° with the
normal.
4. On the line PE, fix two pins at a distance of 5cm from each other and mark these as P and Q.
5. Look for the images of the pins at P and Q through the other face of the prism AC.
6. Fix two pins at R and S such that they appear as a straight line as that of the P and Q when it is
viewed from the AC face of the prism.
7. Remove the pins and the prism.
8. At point F, make the points R and S meet by extending them.
9. PQE is the incident ray which is extended till it meets face AC. SRF is the emergent ray which
is extended backward to meet at point G.
10. Now mark the angle of incidence ∠i, angle of refraction ∠r and the angle of emergence ∠e and
the angle of deviation ∠D as shown in the experimental setup.
11. Repeat the experiment for more angles between 30° and 60°.
Observations:
1. At surface AB, the light ray enters and bends towards the normal on refraction.
[Link] surface AC, the light ray bends away from the normal as it travels from one medium (glass)
to the other (air).
[Link] angle of deviation is observed. Here, the emergent ray bends at an angle from the direction
of the incident ray.
Conclusion:
1. The incident ray bends towards the normal when it enters the prism and while leaving the prism
it bends away from the normal.
2. The angle of deviation =______________
Precautions:
[Link] drawing the boundary of the prism, a sharp pencil should be used.
[Link] board and pointed pins should be used.
[Link] distance between the pins should be 5cm or more.
[Link] pins should be fixed vertically and should be encircled when they are removed from the
board.
[Link] angle of incidence should be between 30° and 60°.
[Link] arrows drawn for incident ray, reflected ray and emergent ray should be proper.
[Link] viewing the col-linearity of all four pins and images, the head should be slightly tilted on
either side. While doing this it can appear as if all are moving together.