DETERMINATION OF REFRACTION INDEX OF LENS

INTRODUCTION
During this laboratory work, you determine refraction index of prism theoretically and
experimentally verify Snell’s law. Before starting the work, you should be familiar with Snell’s
law law’s, refraction index, absolute refraction index total internal reflection, double refraction.
Light crossing a boundary between two transparent materials changes direction if the speed
of light within those materials is different. This direction change is known as refraction.
The angles of the reflected and refracted rays are determined by the following laws:1. The
incident, reflected, and refracted rays and the normal to the surface all lie in the same plane. The
plane of the three rays and the normal, called the plane of incidence, is perpendicular to the plane
of the boundary surface between the two materials. 2. The angle of incidence is equal to the angle
of reflection.
Light traveling from a material in which it has high speed (like air) to a material in which
it has slower speed (like glass) experiences refraction toward the normal line perpendicular to the
boundary, and light traveling from a material in which it has slower speed to a material in which
it has greater speed experiences refraction away from the
normal line.
The amount of refraction experienced by light as it
passes between two transparent materials is dependent on
the angle at which the light is incident upon the boundary
between the materials and the index of refraction of each
material. The formula relating these quantities is known as
Snell's law:
n1 sin1  n2 sin2
where n1 and n2 are the indices of refraction of the first
and second material, 𝜃1 is the incident angle the incoming
light ray makes relative to the normal line, and 𝜃2 is the angle the refracted light ray makes relative
to the normal line.
In the case, when the first medium is optically denser that the second one (𝑛1 > 𝑛2 ) the
angle of refraction 𝜃2 is greater than the angle of incident 𝜃1 and there exits the critical angle of
incident 𝑖𝑐 at which, angle of refraction becomes equal 𝜃2 = 90°. It can be found from the
refraction law
sin 𝜃𝑐 𝑛2
=
sin 90° 𝑛1
𝑛2
sin 𝜃𝑐 = .
𝑛1
If 𝜃1 ≥ 𝜃𝑐 the light only reflects from the second medium. This phenomenon is called the total
internal reflection. Since, in our case, the second medium is air we can accept that 𝑛2 ≈ 1 and
1 1
𝜃𝑐 = =
𝑛1 𝑛
Thus, determination of the critical angle 𝜃𝑐 , when total internal reflection takes place let us
calculate the absolute refractive index of the medium,
 EQUIPMENT
In this experiment you will employ Snell's law to determine the index of refraction of a D-shaped
piece of transparent materia. For the purpose of this experiment, assume that the index of refraction
of air is effectively equal to 1.00.
For this work the following equipment is used ( Fig 2). It contains: source of the linearly polarised
light 𝐻𝑒 − 𝑁𝑒 laser 𝐿, D shaped lens with a flat surface 𝑅 and protractor 𝑀;

Fig. 2

PROCEDURE
2. Part

1. Prepare equipment for the measurements. Turn on the laser power supply and wait for five
minutes before staring measurements.
2. The D shaped lens 𝑅 in a position, in which laser ray would incident from the side of its
cylindrical approximately perpendicularly to the flat surface of the lens.
3. Turn the lens gradually and watch the light spot on the wall of the protractor 𝑀.
4. Determine angle 𝜑, which is between incident ray (1) and reflected ray (2) (Fig. 1)and
calculate the incident angle
𝜑
𝛼=
2
5. Determine angle 𝛿, which is between incident ray (1) and refracted ray (3) and calculate
the angle of refraction of the D shaped lens
𝛾 =𝛼−𝛿
6. Calculate the refraction index of the D shaped lens.
7. Repeat the experiment at the different angles 𝜑 ( from 40 ° to 160 ° by step 20 °).
8. Record data to the Table 1. Calculate the average value of refraction index.

Table 1
 𝜑, ° 𝛼, ° 𝜕, ° 𝛾, ° 𝑛 〈𝑛〉

2. Part

1. The D shaped lens (𝑅) in a position (Fig. 3).

Fig. 3

2. Determine angle 𝜑, which is between incident ray (1) and reflected ray (2).
3. Using the measured value of the mean critical angle of incident 𝜃𝑐 .
4. Rotate the D shaped lens by un-clock direction and repeat 2 and 3 steps
5. Determine the absolute index of refraction of the D shaped lens.
6. Calculated the average value of absolute index of refraction of the D shaped lens.
7. Compare values of the index of refraction of D shaped lens obtained by two
methods
8. Slowly rotate D shaped lens by increasing incident angle and observe the total
reflection phenomena.

QUESTIONS

1. What are absolute and relative indexes of refraction?

2. Explain the laws of refection and refraction.
3. When does the total internal reflection take place?
4. What is a critical angle of incidence?
5. Explain the double refraction of light.