Lab #:

Date:

Title: Refraction of light

Aim: To investigate the relationship between the angle of incidence and the corresponding
angles of refraction for glass.

Theory/Research:

• What is refraction?

• Draw a fully labelled diagram showing the boundary, normal, incident ray, refracted ray,
emergent ray, lateral displacement, angle of incidence, angle of refraction and angle of
emergence.

• Where are the angles of incidence and refraction measured from?

Variables:
Manipulated:
Responding:
Controlled:

Apparatus: Glass Block, ruler, paper, protractor, optical pins, tacks, optical board, sharp pencil.

Diagram of apparatus:

Procedure:

1. Tack the paper onto the optical board. Place the glass block in the centre of the paper and
draw the outline of the glass block in pencil.
 2. Use the protractor to draw in a normal slightly to the left of the middle of the long side
of the block. Label the intersection of the normal and the glass block as point O.
3. Use the protractor to measure out lines at angles of incidence, i of 15°, 30° up to 60°.
Extend the lines towards the edge of the paper.
4. On the 15° line, place two pins A and B upright, so that A is as close to the block as
possible and B is as close to the edge of the paper as possible.
5. Looking through the glass block at the images of A and B, turn your head in the position
where the image of B is directly behind the image of A. Place a pin C close to the block
so that it appears to be in line with the images of A and B.
6. Place a fourth pin D close to the edge of the paper, so that it is in line with C and the
images of A and B.
7. Remove the pins and place an X or ʘ over the holes for pins C and D that have the
correct alignment. Remove the block as well.
8. Draw a line through the pinholes of C and D and extend it back to the glass block (point
R). This represents the emergent ray.
9. By connecting point O to point R, draw in the refracted ray. Draw arrows on incident and
emergent rays indicating the direction in which the light travels. Use the protractor to
measure the angle of refraction, r, and record r and its corresponding angle of incidence,
i.
10. Repeat procedure for all the angles of incidence increasing by 15° up to 60°.

Results and Calculations:

Draw a table showing the values of i, r, sin i and sin r.

Include the printing paper with your lab results as well.

Data analysis:

1. How do your observations show that light is refracted?

2. Plot a graph of sin i (y-axis) against sin r (x-axis).
3. Does your graph show proportionality? Justify your answer.
4. From your graph find the value of the angle of incidence when the angle of refraction is
25°.
5. What is the gradient equal to in terms of the quantities on the axes?
 6. Give the name of the scientist who has a law with this term and state his law.
7. What is the connection between the gradient and the refractive index, n?
8. Use your graph to find the refractive index of glass.
9. Given that n=1/sin c, where c is the critical angle of glass, find the value of the critical
angle of glass.
10. Discuss any precautions and sources of error in this experiment.

Conclusion:
Write an appropriate conclusion stating what you have found out from this lab.