Certificate

This is to certify that this project report

entitled “To investigate the dependance of
angle of deviation on the angle of
incidence using a hollow prism filed,one
by one with different transparent fluids”
submitted to Sudhir Memorial Institute, is
a bonafide record of work done by Somik
Das under my supervision.

Signature of InternalExaminer Signature of EnternalExaminer

 Acknowledgement
I would like to express my sincere thanks
to my Subject Teacher who inspired me to
carry out the project. Her guidance
enabled me to think logically and produce
good results. I am also thankful to my
affectionate laboratory technician for her
cooperation and help without which I
would not have completed my experiment
successfully.
 Index
Contents
Introduction – SomeTerms related to
topic
Introduction
Experimental Setup- Aim ,Apparatus,
Theory
Procedure
Observations
Diagram
Precaution
Sources of error
Bibliography
 Introduction
In optics, a prism is a transparent optical
element with flat, polished surfaces that
refracts light. The exact angles between
the surfacesdepend on the application.
The traditionalgeometrical shape is that of
a triangular prism with a triangular base
and rectangular sides, and in colloquial
use “prism” usually refers to this type.
Some types of optical prism are not in fact
in the shape of geometric prisms. Prisms
can be made from any material that is
transparent to the wavelengths for which
they are designed. Typical materials
include glass, plastic and fluorite. Prism
can be used to break light up into its
constituent spectral colors (the colors of
the rainbow). Prisms can also be used to
reflect light, or to split light into
components with different polarizations.
Before Isaac Newton, it was believed that
white light was colorless, and that the
prism itself produced the color. Newton’s
experiments demonstrated that all the
colors already existed in the light in a
heterogeneous fashion, and that
“corpuscles” (particles) of light were
fanned out because particles with different
colors traveled with different speeds
through the prism. It was only later that
Young and Fresnel combined Newton’s
particle theory with Huygens’ wave theory
to show that color is the visible
manifestation of light’s wavelength.
Newton arrived at his conclusion by
passing the red color from one prism
through second prism and found the color
unchanged. From this, he concluded that
the colors must already be present in the
incoming light and white light consists of a
collection of colors. As the white light
passes through the triangular prism, the
light separates into the collection of
colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue,
indigo and violet. This collection of colors
formed by the prism is called the
spectrum. The separation of white light
into itsspectrum is known as dispersion.
Dispersion occurs because each color
travels through the prism at different
speeds. Violet travels the slowest through
the prism; hence we can see it refracting
the most. On the other hand, red passes
through at a much fast rate which makes
its angle of refraction less, hence red is
too scarce to be
seen.
 Experimental Setup
AIM : To investigate the dependence, of
the angle of deviation on the angle of
incidence, using a hallow prism filled, one
by one, with different transparent fluids.
APPARATUS:Drawing board, white
sheets of paper, hollow prism, different
liquids (water, kerosene oil, etc), drawing
pins, pencil, half meter scale, thump pins,
graph papers and a protractor.
THEORY: Refraction of Light through a
Prism – Diagram shows section ABC of a
prism taken by a vertical plane,
perpendicular to the edge. BC is the base
of the prism and AB and AC are its two
refracting surfaces.
Refraction through a prism.
RQ is the incident ray.
QS is the refracted ray.
ST is the emergent ray.
RQN = i = angle of incidence
SQN= r1 = angle of refraction inside prism
QSN = r2= angle of incidence inside prism
TSN = e = angle of emergence
BAC = A = angle of prism
SFK = D = angle of deviation
In QFS, KFS = FQS + FSQ
D = (i – r1) + (e – r2)
D = i + e – (r1+ r2) ... (1)
In QS1N3, r1+ r2+ QN3S = 180⁰ ... (2)
The quadrilateral AQN3S is cyclic
quadrilateral, then A + QN3S = 180
... (3)
From (2) and (3)
A = r1 + r2 ... (4) Eq.(1)
become
D=i+e-A
D + A = i + e ... (5)
Angle of Minimum Deviation- The
minimum value of angle of deviation is
called angle of minimum deviation.It is
represented by the symbol Dm
Explanation: For same angle of deviation
(D) there are two values of angle of
incidence. One value equals ‘i’ and other
value equals ‘e’. As angle ‘i’ is increased
from a small value, ‘e’ decreases from
large value and angle of deviation
decreases. When angle of deviation is
minimum (Dm), then, ‘i’ and ‘e’ becomes
equal.The refracted ray QS goes parallel
to base BC. Since i = e, we have r1= r2.
Hence, at minimum deviation, when r1=
r2= r (say). We have A = r1+ r2= r +r= 2r
⇒r = A/2 Also, at minimum deviation, D =
Dm and i = e
From relation, A + D = i + e
We have, A + Dm= i + i = 2i
⇒i = A+Dm/2
From Snell’s law,
n =sini/sinr
We have n=(sin(A +Dm/2))/sin(A/2)This
relation is useful for determination of n for
Prism material.
Diagram:
 Procedure
1.A white sheet of paper was fixed on the
drawing board with the help of drawing
pins
2.A straight line XX’ parallel to the length
of the paper was drawn nearly in the
middle of the paper.
3.Points Q1,Q2,Q3 and Q4 were marked
on the straight line XX’ at suitable
distances of about 6cm.
4.Normal’s N1Q1,N2Q2,N3Q3 and N4Q4
were drawn on points Q1,Q2,Q3 and Q4.
5.Straight lines R1Q1,R2Q2,R3Q3 and
R4Q4 were drawn making angles of
40⁰,45⁰,50⁰ and 55⁰ respectively with the
normals.
6.One corner of the prism was marked as
A and it was taken as the edge of the
prism for all the observations.
7.Prism with its refracting face AB was put
in the line XX’ and point Q1 was put in the
middle of AB.
8.The boundary of the prism was marked.
9.Two pins P1 and P2 were fixed vertically
on the line R1Q1 and the distance
between the pins were about 2cm.
10. The images of points P1 and P2 were
looked through face AC.
11. Left eye was closed and right eye was
opened and was brought in line with the
two images.
12. Two pins P3 and P4 were fixed
vertically at about 2cm apart such that the
open right eye. sees pins P4 and P3 as
images of P2 and P1 in one straight line.
13. Pins P1,P2,P3 and P4 were removed
and their pricks on the paper were
encircled.
14. Steps 7 to 13 were again repeated
with points Q2,Q3 and Q4 for i=45⁰,50⁰
and 55⁰.
15. Straight lines through points P4 and P3
were drawn to obtain emergent rays S1T1,
S2T2, S3T3 and S4T4.
16. T1S1,T2S2 ,T3S3 and T4S4 were
produced inward in the boundary of the
prism to meet produced incident rays
R1Q1, R2Q2,R3Q3 and R4Q4 at points
F1,F2,F3 and F4.
17. Angles K1F1S1,K2F2S2,K3F3S3 and
K4F4S4 were measured. These angles give
angle of deviation D1, D2,D3 and D4.
18. Values of these angles were written on
the paper.
19. Angle BAC was measured in the
boundary of the prism. This gives angle A.
20. Observations were recorded.
 Observations

S Angle of Angle of Angle of Angle of

no incidenc Deviatio Deviatio Deviation
. e n for n for for
water Kerosen Turpentin
e oil e Oil
1 40 23 36 32
2 45 24 33 33
3 50 25 34 34

Diagram: For Water

For Kerosene Oil
For Turpentine Oil
PRECAUTIONS: The angle of incidence
should lie between 35⁰ – 60⁰. The pins
should be fixed vertical. The distance
between the two pins should not be less
than 10mm. Arrow heads should be
marked to represent the incident and
emergent rays.
SOURCES OF ERRORS: Pin pricks may be
thick. Measurement of angles may be
wrong.
 Bibliography
The following sources were used for the
appropriate information required
tocomplete the project:
Comprehensive: Practical Physics Class XII
NCERT textbook of class XII
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