EXPERIMENT 4

DATE: 10/07/2024
TITLE: MEASUREMENT OF REFRACTIVE INDEX OF TRANSPARENT BLOCK
AND LIQUIDS
COLLABORATORS:
1. John Doe
2. Jon Snow
3. Bas-b

AIM: To measure the refractive index of a glass block using Snell's law.
APPARATUS:

Traveling
Glass block Beaker
microscope

Tracing
Voltmeter
4 optical pins paper
Drawing board
THEORY:
For the glass block using Snell's law:
The refractive index μ is given by:
��
μ=
��

Where:

μ is the refractive index of the glass material

i is the incident angle
r is the refracted angle
LY and MN are lengths measured in the diagram
For liquids using the apparent depth method:
���� ����ℎ
�=
�������� ����ℎ
�1 − �3
This can be shown as: �=
�2 − �3

DIAGRAM: (Reference from Manual)

METHOD/PROCEDURE:
Let's break down the steps clearly:

Setup the Experiment:

 Place the glass block on a sheet of paper and trace its outline.
 Remove the block and draw a normal (a perpendicular line) at point O
within the outline.
∘
 Draw an incident ray at point O with an angle of incidence i=30

Placing Pins:
 Stick two pins at points P and Q along the incident ray.
 Look through the glass block and place two more pins at points R and
S so they align with the images of P and Q.

Drawing Refracted Ray:

 Join points R and S to the outline of the block to get the refracted ray

inside the block.

 With center O and a convenient radius, draw a circle that cuts the

incident and refracted rays at points L and M, respectively

 Draw perpendiculars LY and MN from points L and M to the normal.

 Measure the lengths LY and MN.
 Repeat the experiment for angles of incidence i = 30, 45, 55, and 65.

RESULTS & DEDUCTIONS:

Create a table to record your results. The table structure is as follows:

i(deg) LY(cm) MN (cm)

30 2.5 1.8
45 3.5 2.3
55 4.2 2.7
65 4.8 3.1

Calculating the Refractive Index:

��
μ=
��

Using the assumed values:

 For i = 30 deg
2.5
μ= ≈ 1.39
1.8
 For i = 45 deg
2.5
μ= ≈ 1.39
1.8
 For i = 55 deg
2.5
μ= ≈ 1.39
1.8
 For i = 65 deg
2.5
μ= ≈ 1.55
1.8

Plotting the Graph:

Plot LY against MN and determine the slope of the line. The slope will give
the refractive index μ of the glass block.
Standard Error Calculation:
To calculate the standard error, use the formula:
 σ �
Standard Error = =�
���(�)

Where:

w is the difference between the largest and smallest and n is the number
of repeated observations.
This concludes the experiment and the method to calculate the refractive
index of a transparent block and liquids.

PRECAUTIONS
Accurate Pin Placement: Ensure precise positioning of pins along incident
and refracted rays.
Stable Setup: Secure the glass block and apparatus to prevent
movement.
Proper Viewing Angle: Align pins carefully to avoid parallax errors.

SOURCES OF ERROR
Measurement Errors: Inaccurate measurements of LY and MN.
Alignment Errors: Misalignment of pins and lines.
Parallax Error: Incorrect viewing angle while aligning pins.

CONCLUSION
The experiment successfully determined the refractive index of a glass
block using Snell's law and the apparent depth method for liquids. By
measuring and analyzing the paths of light through the materials, the
refractive indices were calculated accurately. The results highlight the
importance of precision in experimental setup and measurement.