KENDRIYA

VIDYALAYA
No. 2,
Pondicherry
University
Campus,
Kalapet,
Puducherry-14

PHYSICS
INVESTIGATO
RY PROJECT
201314

DETERMINAT
ION OF

REFRACTIVE
INDICES OF
VARIOUS
LIQUIDS
USING A
HOLLOW
PRISM

Guided by,
Submitted by,
Class XII

BONA FIDE
CERTIFICA
TE
It is hereby to
certify that, the
original and
genuine

investigation work
has been carried
out to investigate
about the subject
matter and the
related data
collection and
investigation has
been completed

solely, sincerely
and satisfactorily
done by
NAME
of Class XII,
Kendriya
Vidyalaya No.2,
Pondicherry-14,

regarding the
project titled,
REFRACTIVE
INDICES OF
VARIOUS
MEDIUMS
Signature of the
Guide

Principals
Signature

Submitted for ALL

India SENIOR
SECONDARY
EXAMINATION
held on
_____________ at

KENDRIYA
VIDYALAYA
No.2,
PONDICHERRY.
Internal Examiner External
Examiner

ACKNOWLED
GEMENT
The successful
completion of any
task would be
incomplete
without
mentioning the

names of those
persons who
helped to make it
possible. I take this
opportunity to
express my
gratitude in few
words and respect
to all those who

helped me in the
completion of this
project. It is my
humble pleasure to
acknowledge my
deep senses of
gratitude to my
Physics teacher,
Teacher name

for her valuable

support, constant
help and guidance
at each and every
stage, without
which this project
would not have
come forth. I also

register my sense
of gratitude to our
principal,
Mr.principal
, for his immense
encouragement
that has made this
project successful.
I would also like to

thank my friends
and family for
encouraging me
during the course
of this project.
Last, but not the
least, I would like
to thank CBSE for
giving us the

opportunity to
undertake this
project.

Project
Overview
Aim Apparatus
Required Theory
Procedure
Observations
Conclusions

Precautions
Bibliography

Aim
To find out the
refractive indices
of different liquids
using a hollow
prism

Apparatus
Required

Hollow glass
prism

Various liquids
like water, carbon
disulphide,
benzaldehyde etc.

Bell pins

Drawing board

Theory
A prism is a
transparent optical
element with flat,
polished surfaces
that refract light.
Prisms can be
made from any

material that is
transparent
including glass,
plastic and
fluorite. A prism
can be used to
break light up into
its constituent
spectral colors.

Prisms can also be

used to reflect
light, or to split
light into
components with
different
polarizations. The
refractive index of
the liquid Is given

by the formula:
U=sini/sinr=sin((a
+d)/2)/sin(a/2)
Where,
U=refractive index
of the liquid. a=
the angle of
minimum
deviation d=angle

of prism i=angle of
incidence r=angle
of refraction

Procedure

Fix a white sheet

of paper on the
drawing board
with help of
drawing pins.

Keep the prism

and mark the
outline of it as
ABC.

Drop a normal PQ
on the side AB.

Draw the angle of

incidence in
accordance with
the normal PQ and
place 2 pins so that
they appear to be
in the straight line.

Place the prism

filled with given
sample of liquid
,on the marked
outline ABC.

Now take the pins

and place them on
the side AC so that
all the 4 pins
appear to be in
same line.

Remove the prism

and draw the line
joining the points
so obtained.

Mark the diagram

as shown in the
figure.

Repeat this with

different liquids
and different angle
of incidence.

Observation

Benzaldehyde
S.no a (angle of
prism) i (angle of
incidence) d (angle
of deviation)

1 60 30 45 2 60 35
42 3
60 37.5
40

4 60 39 42 5 60 40
45
U=sin((60+40)/2)/
sin(30) = 1.504

Water
S.no a (angle of
prism) i (angle of
incidence) d (angle
of deviation)

1 60 30 25 2 60 35
22 3 60 40 20 4
60 45 22

5 60 50 25 6 60 55
28
U=sin((60+22)/2)/
sin(30) = 1.306

Dil. Sulphuric
Acid
S.no a (angle of
prism) i (angle of
incidence) d (angle
of deviation)

1 60 20 33 2 60 30
30 3
60 35 25

4 60 40 29 5 60 45
30
U=sin((60+25)/2)/
sin(30) = 1.351

Conclusion
Refractive indices
at room
temperature:

Benzaldehyde
o

Actual: 1.546
o

Experimental:
1.504
o

Water
o

Actual: 1.33
o

Experimental:
1.306
o

Dil . Sulphuric
acid
o

Actual: 1.355
o

Experimental:
1.351

Precautions

Angle of incidence
should lie b/w 3560 degree.

Pins should be
vertically fixed
and should lie in
same line.

Distance b/w two

points should not
be less than 10mm.

Same angle of
prism should be
used for all
observation.

Arrow head should

be marked to

represent emergent
and incident ray.