REMARKS/ANALYSIS OF DATA

In part A of the experiment we are required to determine the index of refraction of a

glass when light bends from glass to air while in part B, we are required to determine the
same thing but the light bends from air to glass. The data that we gathered from part A and B
were compiled and combined into one table. After performing these parts of the experiment,
we studied and analysed the data gathered. In part A, I learned that the value of the index of
refraction of a glass is directly proportional to line FL which is perpendicular to the normal
line and inversely proportional to line GH. This means that as the length of FL gets longer,
the value of index of refraction increases and as the length of GH gets longer, the value of
index of refraction decreases. In part B, the index of refraction of a glass is directly
proportional to line GH which is perpendicular to the normal line and inversely proportional
to line FL. This means that as the length of GH gets longer, the value of index of refraction
increases and as the length of GH gets longer, the value of index of refraction decreases. With
this data, I can conclude that the length of GH and FL in both parts of the experiment affects
the value of the index of refraction of a glass.
In the second and last table of the experiment, we are required to determine the
critical angle between air and glass. Looking at the gathered data, I can tell that the value of
critical angle is directly proportional to line MU and inversely proportional to line EU. This
means that as line MU gets longer, the degree of critical angle gets bigger and as line EU gets
longer, the degree of critical angle gets lower. I also learned that you can compute or get the
theoretical value of critical angle as long as you know the index of refraction of air and glass.
I think the possible causes or sources of errors are wrong measurement of lines GH
and FL, inaccurate alignment of refracted ray and wrong measurement of lines MU and EU.
For other students to achieve lower percentage error, I suggest that they should carefully
measure the lengths of the required lines and align as accurate as possible the refracted ray.
CONCLUSION

After performing the experiment, I can say that the objectives were successfully
achieved. We studied and analysed the behaviour of refraction of light. Refraction is the
bending of waves, where light is our wave in this experiment, when it enters and passes
through a certain medium with different density. The index of refraction can be determined
by dividing the speed of light in an empty space by the speed of light as it passes through the
medium. The angle of the incident ray with respect to normal line is different from the angle
of its refracted ray because as the incident ray passes through a certain medium its speed is
changed because of the different density of the medium thus producing a refracted ray at a
different angle. We also successfully determined the index of refraction of a glass using
Snell’s Law by finding the angle of incidence and refraction and used 1 as the index of
refraction of air.
Index of refraction is defined by speed of light in vacuum over speed of light in a
medium. Different medium and substance have different indices of refraction because of their
c
properties. Using the formula n= where c is the speed of light in vacuum and v is the speed
v
of light in a medium, index of refraction can be determined. In this experiment, Laws of
Refraction is also applied where it stated that the incident ray, refracted ray and normal line
can be found or lie on the same plane and that the angle of incidence and refraction are
different but their relationship can be determined using the Snell’s Law. Snell’s Law is
defined by the formula n1 sin θi=n 2 sin θr where n1 is the index of refraction of the 1st medium,
n2 is the index of refraction of the 2nd medium, θi is the angle of incidence and θr is the angle
of refraction.
Index of refraction or refractive index has many applications in real life. Its most
common application is in identifying an unknown substance and determining its purity. A
good example is commonly used in pharmaceutical industry where they use refractive index
in order to determine the concentration of a single substance like drugs. It can also be used in
determining and identifying the focusing power of different kinds of lenses and prisms. Using
refractive index, the concentration or the amount of an unknown solute in an aqueous
solution can also be measured.