SHREERAM MODEL SCHOOL INVESTIGATORY PROJECT REPORT In partial fulfillment of AISSCE 2025-2026 Physics Project A PROJECT REPORT ON To find the refractive index of water, oil using a plane mirror and an equiconvex lens and an adjustable object needle. MADE BY : DEVANSHI SAINI XIIDEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS CERTIFICATE This is to certify that Devanshi Saini a student of class XII has successfully completed the research on the below mentioned project under the guidance of Mr. Prem Singh(PGT Physics) during the year 2025-2026 in partial fulfillment of physics practical conducted by AISSCE as per CBSE Mr. Prem Singh PHYSICS TEACHER EXAMINERACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my Physics Teacher Mr. Prem Singh (PGT Physics), as well as our Senior Principal, Dr. Amrita Jyoti for providing me with the opportunity to work on this beautiful project. Secondly, I would also like to thank my parents and friends who helped me to finish this project within the limited time frame. Finally, I would like to thank everyone without whose help I could not have completed my project successfully.Introduction © Objective ® Materials Required ® Theory Procedure ® Observation ® Calculation ® Results © Precautions ® Sources of error Introduction In optics, the refractive index (a.k.a. refraction index) of an optical medium is a dimensionless number that indicates the light-bending ability of that medium. The refractive index determines how much the path of light is bent, or refracted when entering a material. This is described by Snell's law of refraction, n1 sin 61 = n2 sin 62, where 61 and 62 are the angles of incidence and refraction, respectively, of a ray crossing the interface between two media with refractive indices n1 and n2. interface \’Objective To find the refractive index of water, oil using a plane mirror and an equiconvex lens and an adjustable object needle. Materials Required Convex lens Plane mirror Water Oil Clamp stand An Optical needle Plumb line Knitting needle Half meter scale Glass slab Spherometer Theory If f1 and f2 be the focal length of glass convex lens and liquid lens and F be the focal length of their combination then,Liquid lens formed is a planoconcave lens with R1= R (radius of curvature of convex lens surface), R2 =co 1 1 A Oleg “nog =(n-})|= = o| Where n=Refractive index of the liquid R=The radius of the curvature of the convex lens. The radius of the lower surface of the convex lens is given by: e h RS 6h 2 Here, | is the average distance between the legs of the spherometer and h is the difference in the reading of the spherometer when placed first on the convex lens and then on plane mirror.EET L ETE Fig: Focal length of glass convex les and liquid lens combination Procedure For focal length of convex lens 1. Take any one convex lens and find its rough focal length. 2. Take a plane mirror and place it on the horizontal base of the iron stand. 3. Place the convex lens on the plane mirror. 4. Screw tight the optical needle in the clamp of the stand and hold it horizontally above the lens at distance equal to its rough focal length.5, Bring the tip of the needle at the vertical principal axis of ‘the lens, so that tip of the needle appears touching the tip of its image. 6. Move the needle up and down and remove parallax between tips of the needle and its image. 7. Measure distance between tip and upper surface of the lens by using a plumb line and half metre scale. 8. Also measure distance between tip and the surface of its plane mirror. For focal length of the combination 1. Take a few drops of transparent liquid on the plane mirror and put the convex lens over it with its same face above as before (A piano concave liquid lens is formed between plane mirror and convex lens). 2. Repeat steps 6, 7 and 8. 3. Record your observations as given below. For radius of curvature of convex lens surface: 1. Determine the pitch and the least count of the spherometer. 2. Remove the convex lens and dry incompletely. Put the spherometer on this lens surface. 3. All the three legs of the spherometer should be placed symmetrically on the lens and adjust the central screw tip to touch the surface of the lens.4. Remove the spherometer from the surface of the lens and place on the plane mirror surface and record the reading. 5. Repeat the steps 10 and 11 three times. 6. Obtain the impressions of the three legs of the spherometer on a paper and mark them and their average distance. — Wtht+th ! 3 Observation Pitch of the spherometer = 1 cm Least count of the spherometer = 0.01 cm Distance between the legs: (1) AB=3cm (2)BC=3cm (3) CA=3cmTable for calculation of ‘h’ [Link] | Initial reading | No. of | Final Additional | h=n x| Mean ofthe CS. on | complete | reading of|CS — div.| pitch | “h” the convex | rotations |the c.s on|moved +mx| (cm) lens the glass Le (a) (n) | slab 1 62 0 65 55.5 0.555 | 0.5775 2 64 0 4 60 | (06 To measure focal length ‘f’ of convex lens [ ___| Distance of needle tip from _ ‘Area [Link] |Tip ofthe upper | Upper Mean | Focal | between surface of the surface of | x==1**2 | Length lens and convex lens(cm) —_| the plane 2 \ (cm) plane mirror Xx mirror(cm) Xe Without |1 |305 31 3075 | fiz liquid | 33.85 2 (36.7 37.2 36.95 With water | 1 31.4 318 316 |fq3a7 a 2 37.5 38.1 378 || With oi 1 |94 9.6 [9s | f=10 2 10.4 10.6 | 10.5 | Calculation Mean distance between two legs l= AB+BC+CA =3cm 3 Mean of h = (0.555+0.6)/2 =0.5775 cm To find the radius of the curvature of the convex lens: R =12/6h +h/2 = 2.8861 cm Measurement of refractive index of water and oil 1) with water between the convex lens and the plane mirror:LR, 28860 wpa eee Ha E 34.7 = 1.0831 2) With oil between the convex lens and plane mirror Results The refractive index of water is 4 = 1.0831 The refractive index of oil is 2 = 1.2886 Precautions 1. The plane mirror should be clean and fully shining surface.2. The liquid taken should be transparent. 3. The parallax should be removed tip to tip. 4. The eye should be at a distance about 30 cm from the needle while removing the parallax. 5. Only few drops of liquid should be taken so that its layer should be thick. 6, The legs of the spherometer should be vertical, 7. The centre leg of the spherometer should turn in one direction only.Sources of error [Link] may not be quite transparent. 2. The parallax may not be fully removed. 3. The spherometer legs should be placed symmetrical on the surface of the convexlens. 4. The tip of the central screw should not just touch the surface of lens or mirror.Bibliography eNCERT Physics Book, class XIl [Link] e Physics book by author S.L. Arora e Pradeep’s Fundamental Physics Book ewww. [Link]/vedantuphysics e [Link]/magnetbrains