REFRCATION EXPERIMENT

Experiment: Refraction Experiment

Aim: To investigate refraction using a rectangular mirror, a convex lens and concave lens.

Method A – RECTANGULAR PRISM: Direct a ray of light towards a rectangular prism

WHAT HAPPENS:

The light bends inside the rectangular prism because of the change in density. The density
changes from air to glass and then back to air, hence the light bends and creates this result.
The incident ray and the ray of light that comes out of the glass are parallel to each other.

PARALLEL
LINES

Result A – RECTANGULAR PRISM INCIDENT RAY

ANGLE OF
INCIDENCE

AIR ANGLE OF
REFRACTION
REFRACTED RAY
GLASS

RECTANGULAR
PRISM
AIR
NORMAL

SLIT PLATE

RAY BOX
METHOD B – CONVEX LENS

AIR

GLASS FOCAL POINT

AIR

CONVEX LENS

RAY BOX INCIDENT RAYS

(there are 3)
SLIT PLATE

Method B – CONVEX LENS: Direct 3 or 4 rays of light towards a convex lens.

HOW AND WHAT HAPPENS?

The ray box projects light onto the convex lens which then go through the lens and meet at
a point which is called a focal point and then they separate back again. The light inside the
lens bends and that is the reason why the light change direction and meet at a point. This
happens because of the density. The light moves from air to glass and then back to air,
throughout the light’s journey it bends and creates this result.
METHOD C – CONCAVE LENS

Method C – CONCAVE LENS: Direct 3 or 4 rays of light towards a convex lens.

AIR

GLASS

AIR

CONCAVE LENS

RAY BOX INCIDENT RAYS

(there are 3)
SLIT PLATE

HOW AND WHAT HAPPENS?

The ray box projects light onto the convex lens which then go through the lens and scatters
everywhere. They are spread out because their focal point is at the back and hence diverge
the light in front.

FOCAL POINT
This is what happens
when light passes
through concave lens
Conclusion:

What I learned from the practical was how concave lens have a focal point that is behind the
lens, I always wondered why they didn’t meet together and then separate but I learned
from this practical that concave lens have a focal point that you can’t see and hence
separates the rays of light from behind.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Applications of Concave and convex lens in real life

Use of concave lens:

Uses of Convex Lenses

1) Used in spectacles to correct the defect of vision called hypermetropia or long

sightedness
2) Used for making a simple camera
3) Used as magnifying glasses
4) Used in microscopes, telescopes, film projectors, etc.

Use of convex lens:

(1) Convex mirrors are used as rear view mirrors in vehicles because convex mirrors
increase the field of view.
(2) Convex mirrors are used as streetlight reflectors as they spread light over the greater
area.
(3) A convex mirror is used as a reflector in street lamps.
(4) Used in Microscopes to enlarge the specimen so it is easier for us to see tiny
organisms.