Lab #14

Title: Snell’s Law and the Refractive Index

Aim: To Investigate Snell’s Law and Calculate the value of the refractive index for a glass
block

Apparatus:
& Materials: Optical board and pins; glass block; ruler; protractor; paper tape; plain paper
and pencil

Diagram:

Method:
1. Fasten cardboard or paper to optical board
2. Place glass block on cardboard or paper [centre it]
3. Trace outline of block
4. Construct a normal [perpendicular] to one face of the block; then construct [mark off]
several angles to the constructed normal [15, 20, 25, 30, 35 for example]
5. Place two pins along line used to mark off first [smallest] angle
6. On the opposite side of the glass block, place another two pins so that the images of the
four pins fall appear as one
7. Remove the pins and mark off the angle formed.
8. Draw a straight line THROUGH the glass block FROM the points where the angles marked
off touch the outside of the glass block
9. Measure and record the angles of refraction [r] and incidence [i]
10. Repeat steps 5 to 9 for remaining angles. Record ALL results
Results:

Angle of Incidence Angel of Refraction

0℃ 0℃
10℃ 9℃
20℃ 15℃
30℃ 20℃
40℃ 25℃
50℃ 30℃

Calculations: Snell’s Law states that the ratio of Sin [i] to Sin [r] is a constant called the
refractive index. Plot a graph of Sin [r] vs. Sin [i] and find its gradient; the value of the
gradient is equal to the refractive index of that glass block.

Questions: • What is the value of the refractive index of the glass block? • What are the
units of refractive index? (Answer in the discussion)

Discussion:

Sources of Errors:

Conclusion: