EXPERIMENT 6

AIM: To determine refractive index of a glass slab using a travelling microscope.

APPARATUS
Three glass slabs of different thicknesses but same material, a travelling microscope, lycopodiun
powder.
A slab is a piece of transparent material with rectangular faces. All faces are transparent and
opposite faces are parallel. The dimension along which the light travels inside the slab is calledits
thickness.
A Short Description of a Travelling Microscope
It is a compound microscope fitted vertically on a vertical scale. It can be moved up and dowa
carrying a vernier scale moving along the main scale.
In any
position, the reading is taken by combining main scale and vernier scale reading
THEORY
ReadArt.9.09
Real thickness of slab
From relation, n=
Apparent thickness of slab
 173
Refractive lndex of Prism Material, Glass Slab and Transparent Liquid
DIAGRAM

M
Ro
H M

Ra
R

(a)
(b) (c)
Fig. Real and apparent thickness.
OBSERVATIONS AND CALCULATIONSs
Vernier constant (least count) for vertical scale of microscope = cm.

Table for Microscope Readings

Serial Reading on vertical scale when Real thickness Apparent
No. Refractive index
microscope is focussed on (R,- R)
(cm)
thickness
(R-R,)
R,-R
Cross-mark
without slab
Cross-mark Lycopodium
with slab powder (Cm) R-R
R, (cm) R,(cm) R,(cm)
1 66 78 9
2
3

Mean n = R, +n,
3
RESULT
The ratio
The ratio R-R
R-R is constant.

Itgives refractive index of the material of the glass slab.

PRECAUTIONS

In microscope, the parallaxshould be properly removed.

2. The microscope should be moved in upper direction only to avoid back lash error.

SOURCES OF ERROR

JJhe microscope scale may not be properly calibrated.

VIYA VOCE