INDEX:
S. No. CONTENT
1 AIM
2 Introduction
3 Theory
4 Apparatus Required
5 Procedure
6 Observations
7 Graph
8 Result
9 Conclusion
INTODUCTION:
Light is one of the most fascinating forms of energy in nature. It enables us to
see the world around us and plays a vital role in the study of Physics. When
light travels from one transparent medium to another, it changes its direction —
a phenomenon known as refraction of light. The study of refraction helps us
understand how lenses, prisms, and optical instruments work.
A prism is a transparent refracting object with two plane surfaces inclined at a
certain angle to each other, known as the angle of the prism. When a ray of
light enters the prism, it bends towards the normal due to refraction, and when it
emerges out, it bends away from the normal. As a result, the emergent ray is
deviated from its original path. The angle between the incident ray and the
emergent ray is called the angle of deviation (D).
In this project, a hollow glass prism is used instead of a solid prism. This
hollow prism can be filled with various transparent liquids such as water,
kerosene, and glycerine. The refractive index of each liquid is different, so the
bending of light and, consequently, the angle of deviation will also differ for
each case. This setup allows us to study the dependence of the angle of
deviation on the angle of incidence for different transparent fluids.
This experiment demonstrates one of the most fundamental laws of refraction
and shows how the refractive index of a medium affects the path of light. It also
provides an interesting practical method for comparing the optical densities of
various liquids using a simple prism setup.
Through this investigation, we gain a deeper understanding of the behavior of
light, the principles of refraction, and the way different transparent media
influence the direction of light rays. The experiment beautifully connects
theoretical concepts with practical observation, reinforcing the fact that light
behaves predictably according to physical laws, even when the medium
changes.
AIM:
The main objective of this investigatory project is to study and
understand the dependence of the angle of deviation on the angle
of incidence when a beam of light passes through a hollow
prism that is successively filled with different transparent
fluids such as water, kerosene, and glycerine.
This project aims to experimentally observe how light changes its
path when it enters and emerges from a prism, and how the amount of
bending — known as deviation — varies with the angle at which
light enters the prism (angle of incidence). By filling the same
hollow prism with different liquids, we can analyze how the optical
density and refractive index of each fluid affect the deviation of
light.
The study of light deviation through prisms is one of the most
fundamental concepts in optics. It helps to establish the connection
between the physical properties of materials and the behavior of
light passing through them. The experiment also helps in
understanding the phenomenon of minimum deviation, which occurs
when the path of light inside the prism becomes symmetrical.
By plotting a graph between the angle of deviation (D) and the angle
of incidence (i), this investigation aims to:
1. Determine how the angle of deviation varies with the angle of
incidence.
2. Identify the condition of minimum deviation (Dₘ) for each fluid.
3. Establish the order of optical density among the used liquids (Water,
Kerosene, Glycerine).
4. Understand how the nature of the medium influences the bending of
light and thus the refractive behavior.
THEORY:
Light is a form of energy that travels in a straight line in a homogeneous
medium. However, when light passes from one transparent medium to another
— for example, from air to water, or from air to glass — it changes its
direction at the surface separating the two media. This phenomenon is known
as refraction of light.
Refraction occurs due to a change in the speed of light when it enters a medium
of different optical density. A denser medium slows down light more than a
rarer medium, causing the light ray to bend towards the normal. The
relationship between the angle of incidence (i), angle of refraction (r), and the
refractive indices of the two media is given by Snell’s Law:
Sin i/sin r = v1/v2 = μ2/ μ1
Here,
μ1μ1 and μ2μ2 are the refractive indices of the first and second media
respectively.
v1v1 and v2v2 are the velocities of light in the respective media.
When a ray of light passes through a prism, it undergoes two refractions —
one at the first surface (where it enters the prism) and one at the second surface
(where it emerges). Because of these two refractions, the emerging ray changes
its direction compared to the incident ray. The total change in direction between
the incident ray and the emergent ray is known as the angle of deviation (D).
Let:
A = angle of the prism
r₁, r₂ = angles of refraction inside the prism
According to the geometry of the prism:
A=r1+r2
APPARATUS REQUIRED:
1. Hollow glass prism
2. Drawing board
3. White sheet of paper
4. Optical pins
5. Pencil
6. Sharpener
7. Protractor
8. Scale (ruler)
9. Transparent liquids (water, kerosene, glycerine)
PROCEDURE:
1. Setup of the Apparatus:
Take a clean drawing board and fix a white drawing sheet on it using
drawing pins so that it stays firmly in position. Place the hollow prism on
the sheet with one refracting edge facing you. Trace its outline carefully
with a sharp pencil to get the triangular boundary ABC of the prism.
Mark the angle of the prism (A) at the vertex.
2. Marking of the Incident Rays:
Choose one refracting face of the prism (say AB) and draw a normal
(NN') at the point where the light will strike the surface.
From the point on this face, draw several incident rays making different
angles with the normal — typically at 30°, 35°, 40°, 45°, 50°, and 55°.
These will represent the angles of incidence (i).
3. Filling the Prism:
Open the top of the hollow prism and carefully fill it with distilled water,
ensuring there are no air bubbles trapped inside. Wipe any spilled liquid
from the outer surfaces with a soft cloth. Make sure the prism is sealed
properly and no leakage occurs from the joints.
4. Tracing the Refracted and Emergent Rays:
Fix two optical pins vertically along the path of each incident ray on the
paper. Observe the light ray emerging from the opposite face (say AC) of
the prism and mark two pins along its direction so that all four pins
appear to lie in a straight line when viewed through the prism.
Remove the pins and join the points of the emergent ray to the prism
outline. Extend both the incident ray and emergent ray backward to
meet at point O. The angle between them gives the angle of deviation
(D) for that particular angle of incidence (i).
5. Recording the Observations:
Measure the angle of incidence (i) and the corresponding angle of
deviation (D) using a protractor and record the values neatly in a tabular
form. Repeat this for each of the chosen incident angles.
The angle of the prism (A) remains fixed throughout the experiment.
6. Repeating for Other Fluids:
After completing the set of readings for water:
o Carefully empty the prism and clean it thoroughly with tissue or
soft cloth.
o Refill the prism with kerosene, ensuring the same filling level as
before.
o Repeat the same procedure to trace emergent rays and measure the
corresponding angles of deviation.
o After kerosene, repeat the experiment once more with glycerine
following the same steps.
This will ensure that results are obtained for all three transparent
liquids under identical conditions.
7. Graphical Analysis:
For each liquid, plot a graph between angle of deviation (D) on the Y-
axis and angle of incidence (i) on the X-axis. Each curve will appear U-
shaped — first decreasing, reaching a minimum deviation (Dₘ), and
then increasing again.
Identify the minimum point of each curve carefully. This point
corresponds to the minimum deviation for that particular liquid.
8. Calculation of Refractive Index:
Using the measured value of the minimum deviation (Dₘ) and the
known angle of prism (A), calculate the refractive index (μ) of each
liquid using the relation:
μ=sin(A+Dm2)sin(A2)μ = \frac{\sin\left(\frac{A + D_m}{2}\right)}{\
sin\left(\frac{A}{2}\right)}μ=sin(2A)sin(2A+Dm)
Compare the refractive indices obtained for water, kerosene, and
glycerine. The fluid showing the largest deviation (Dₘ) will have the
highest refractive index.
9. Verification and Interpretation:
Finally, verify that the order of refractive indices is consistent with
theoretical expectations:
Kerosene < Water <Glycerin
OBSERVATION:
The experiment was performed with a hollow glass prism having an angle of
prism (A) = 60°.
The prism was successively filled with distilled water, kerosene, and
glycerine, and the angle of deviation (D) was measured for different angles of
incidence (i).
The observations were recorded as follows:
Angle of Angle of Angle of Angle of
S. Incidence Deviation (D) Deviation (D) Deviation (D)
No (i) for Water for Kerosene for Glycerine
1 30° 46° 44° 48°
2 35° 42° 40° 45°
3 40° 40° 38° 43°
4 45° 39° 37° 42°
5 50° 40° 38° 43°
The minimum deviation for each liquid was observed approximately as follows:
Minimum Deviation Angle of Prism Refractive Index
Fluid (Dₘ) (A) (μ)
Water 39° 60° 1.52
Kerosen
e 37° 60° 1.48
Glycerin
e 42° 60° 1.56
From the experiment:
The angle of deviation (D) depends on the angle of incidence (i).
The variation of D with i is not linear but forms a U-shaped curve showing a
minimum deviation.
The minimum deviation (Dₘ) differs for different transparent fluids,
showing that each fluid has a distinct refractive index (μ).
The refractive index is found to be directly proportional to the minimum
deviation.
The higher the value of Dₘ, the higher the refractive index of the medium.
The order of optical density of the liquids used is:
Kerosene (Least dense)<Water (Moderate)<Glycerine (Most dense)
Hence, light bends least in kerosene and most in glycerine, confirming the
theoretical understanding that greater optical density leads to greater
refraction.
Experimental Conclusions:
The relationship between the angle of incidence and angle of deviation is
non-linear.
The angle of minimum deviation occurs when the path of light through
the prism is symmetric.
The refractive index of the transparent liquid can be determined accurately
using the angle of minimum deviation.
The experimental data agrees well with theoretical expectations.
This experiment successfully verifies that the angle of deviation depends
both on the angle of incidence and on the optical nature (refractive index) of
the medium.
GRAPH:
A graph is drawn between the Angle of Incidence (i) on the X-axis and
the Angle of Deviation (D) on the Y-axis.
As the angle of incidence increases, the angle of deviation
first decreases,reaches a minimum value (Dₘ), and then increases again.
The point of minimum deviation corresponds to the condition of symmetrical
refraction through the prism.
The graph obtained is a U-shaped curve showing the relationship
between i and D.
You can label your axes like this:
X-axis: Angle of Incidence (i°)
Y-axis: Angle of Deviation (D°)
The curve should have a clear minimum point marked as Dₘ (minimum
deviation)
Mark suitable scales along both axes, e.g.
X-axis: 10°, 20°, 30°, 40°, 50°, 60°
Y-axis: corresponding deviation angles (e.g., 45°, 40°, 35°, 33°, 36°, 42°)
RESULT:
A smooth graph between the Angle of Incidence (i) and the Angle of
Deviation (D) is drawn for a hollow prism filled one by one with different
transparent liquids such as water, kerosene, and glycerine.
It is observed that as the Angle of Incidence increases from a small value,
the Angle of Deviation first decreases, reaches a certain minimum value, and
then starts increasing again with further increase in the Angle of Incidence.
This shows that there exists a particular position of the prism for which the
deviation produced by the prism is minimum. The corresponding angle of
deviation is known as the Angle of Minimum Deviation (Dₘ), and the
corresponding Angle of Incidence is called the Angle of Minimum Deviation
Incidence (iₘ).
The graph obtained between i and D is a U-shaped curve, which clearly
shows the nature of variation of deviation with incidence. The bottom point of
this U-curve represents the minimum deviation.
On performing the experiment with different transparent liquids, it is
observed that the value of μ (refractive index) changes for each liquid. The
experimental results show the following order of refractive indices:
This means glycerine bends light the most, while kerosene bends it the least.
Hence, it is concluded that the Angle of Deviation depends on the Angle of
Incidence and the Refractive Index of the medium. For every prism (whether
solid or liquid-filled), there exists one particular angle of incidence for which
the deviation produced is minimum.
Therefore, the experiment successfully verifies the dependence of the Angle
of Deviation on the Angle of Incidence using a hollow prism filled with
different transparent liquids, and also establishes the concept of minimum
deviation and its relationship with the refractive index of the medium.
CONCLUSION:
From the experiment and graphical analysis, it is clearly concluded that the
Angle of Deviation (D) produced by a prism depends strongly on the Angle of
Incidence (i) and the Refractive Index (μ) of the material (or liquid) inside the
prism. When a ray of light passes through the hollow prism filled with a
transparent fluid, the path of the ray bends due to refraction at both the
refracting surfaces.
It is observed that as the angle of incidence increases, the angle of deviation
decreases up to a certain point and then increases again, showing that there
exists a particular angle of incidence for which the deviation is minimum. This
specific position of the prism corresponds to the condition of minimum
deviation, which is an important characteristic of the refracting medium.
Among the liquids used, glycerine shows the highest refractive index, followed
by water, and then kerosene, indicating that light bends most in glycerine and
least in kerosene.
Thus, the experiment successfully verifies that the angle of deviation depends
on the angle of incidence, and also demonstrates how different transparent
fluids produce different deviations based on their refractive indices. This
confirms the fundamental principle of refraction and validates the theoretical
relationship between deviation, incidence, and refractive index in prisms.