3.

Refractive index of a glass prism

Aim: To determine the angle of minimum deviation for a given prism by plotting a graph
between the angle of incidence and angle of deviation.

Requirements: Prism, drawing board, pins, white paper.

Theory: A prism is a refracting medium bounded by intersecting plane surfaces that both
disperse and deviate light. The two plane surfaces meet along an edge at a certain angle.
These planes are called the refracting edge and the angle is called the angle of prism or
refracting angle. A prism may be bound by any number of surfaces but the surface on which
light is incident and the surface from which light emerges must be plane and non-parallel.
A  Dm
sin( )
n 2
A
sin( )
2
Angle of minimum deviation: It is the minimum value of angle of deviation at which the
light ray after refraction from the first refracting face goes parallel to the base of the prism,
before it emerges from the second refracting face.

S.No Angle of incidence, i Angle of deviation, D

1. 30º
2. 35º
3. 40º
4. 45º
5. 50º
6. 55º
7. 60º

Procedure:

Fix white paper on a drawing board with the help of thumb pins.
a) Draw a line through the centre of paper longitudinally.
b) Keep the triangular face of the prism with one of the edge on the line and draw the
boundary of the prism with the help of a sharp pencil.
c) Draw normal N on the sides AB at Q1.
d) Draw straight lines R1Q1 making an angle of 30 ̊ with the normal.
e) Fix two paper pins P1 and P2 on line R1Q1. Keep the pins at maximum distance away
from each other (atleast 5cm).
f) Place the prism back on the mark ABC. Look for the image of the pins P1 and P2
through the face AC.
g) Take the third pin P3, close your left eye and fix the pin P3 at such a position that the
image of pins P1, P2 and P3 be on the same line.
h) Now take the fourth pin P4, again close your left eye and fix them at such a position
such that pins P1, P2 , P3and P4 are on the same line. Remove the pins from their
positions and encircle the points. Draw lines through P1, P2 , P3and P4.
i) Produce the emergent ray backward and incident ray forward to meet at E. Measure
 the angle of deviation at D.
j) Repeat all the above steps for angles 40 , 45 , 50̊, 55̊ and 60̊. Do not take i < 30̊ to
35 ,avoid TIR.

k) Plot the graph i versus D with D on Y-axis and i on the X-axis.

Result:

1). The i-d graph is U-shaped indicating that as the angle of incidence increases,
angle of deviation first decreases and then increases.

2). Angle of minimum deviation Dm = _

3). Refractive index of prism, n =

Precaution:

1) Angle of deviation should not be less than 30 ̊ or more than 60̊.

2) The pins fixed should be well apart (atleast 8cm away) and should be vertical.
3) The prism should not be changed while doing the experiment.
Sources of error:
1. The pins may not be exactly vertical.
2. Angles may not be measured properly
3. The tips of the pins may not be on the same line.