AIM

To investigate the dependence of the angle of

deviation on the angle of incidence using a hollow prism filled
one by one, with different transparent fluids.

INTRODUCTION

In the quadrilateral AQNR, two of the angles (at the vertices Q

and R) are right angles. Therefore, the sum of the other angles of the
quadrilateral is 180.

∠A + ∠QNR = 180 ………. (1)

From the triangle QNR,
r1 + r2 + ∠QNR = 180 ……….. (2)
Comparing equations (1) and (2) we get,
r1 + r2 = A
The angles of incidence and refraction at the first face AB are i and
r1, while the angle of incidence (from glass to air) at the second
face AC is r2 and e. And the angle of refraction or emergence is
defined as e.

The angle of deviation depends on the angle of incidence.

ANGLE OF DEVIATION – ANGLE OF INCIDENCE GRAPH:

A plot between the angle of deviation and angle of incidence is
as shown below.
THEORY
Prism:
Actually Prism are made in different forms and shapes. But most
commonly, A Prism is one of a transparent optical element with flat,
polished surfaces that are designed to refract light. At least one of its
surface must be angled between a two parallel surfaces. The
traditional geometrical shape says that the optical prism is that of
triangular prism with a triangular base and rectangle sides.

It can be made from any material that is transparent to the

wavelengths for which they are designed. Includes, glass, acrylic and
fluorite. Other types of prisms can be used to reflect light, or to split
into components with different polarizations.

An Ordinary triangular prism can separate white light into its

constituent colours, called a spectrum. Each colour, or wavelength,
making up the white length is bent, or refracted, a different amount;
the shorter wavelengths (those toward the violet end of the spectrum)
are bent the most, and the longer wavelengths (those toward the red
end of the spectrum) are bent the least.
Prisms of this kind are used in certain spectroscopes, instruments
for analyzing light and for determining the identity and structure of
materials that emit or absorb light. Prisms can reverse the direction of
light by internal reflection, and for this purpose they are useful in
binoculars.

Light travels in enormous speed, it travels in a straight line. The

speed of light in vacuum is 3 x 108 m.s-1. The highest speed of nature
is attainable, when the speed of light in vacuum.
A ray of light that travels obliquely one transparent medium into
another medium will change the direction of the second medium. The
extent of change of direction in direction that takes place in a given
pair of media is expressed in terms of the refractive index.

REFRACTIVE INDEX OF SOME MATERIALS MEDIA:

__________________________________________________
Material Medium Refractive Index
__________________________________________________
Air 1.0003
Ice 1.31
Water 1.33
Alcohol 1.36
Kerosene 1.44
Fused Quartz 1.46
Turpentine Oil 1.47
Benzene 1.50
Crown Glass 1.52
Canada Balsam 1.53
Rock Salt 1.54
Carbon disulphide 1.63
Dense flint glass 1.65
Ruby 1.71
Sapphire 1.77
Diamond 2.42
The Refractive index of the liquid is given by a formula:
A+ D
sin I 2
μ= =sin .
sin R A
sin( )
2

Where,
 μ=Refractive index of liquid

 D = Angle of minimum deviation

 A = Angle of prism
 I = Angle of incidence
 R = Angle of refraction

DISPERSION OF LIGHT
 Light changes speed as it moves from one medium to
another. This causes the light to be refracted and it’s enter
into a new medium at a different angle. The phenomenon of
light into its component colours is known as dispersion.

When a narrow white

beam of light, is
incident on a
transparent prism the
emergent light is seen
to be consist of several
colourful lights. The
variation of colours is
seen in the emergent
ray are in the sequence
of Violet, Indigo, Blue,
Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red they are given as,
(VIBGYOR).

The Red light is the least bended and the Violet light is the
most bended. This gives us a rainbow that consist of seven
colours. The prism is used to separate a beam of light into a
constitute spectrum of colours.

So, the conclusion says that we can separate a beam of white

light is dispersed into a spectrum of colours. This is known as
Dispersion of light.

HALLOW PRISM
 A Hallow prism is a prism made using glass plate with the centre
part of the prism is vacant. This Cavity can be filled with gas or other
fluids. Thus, it is also called as a fluid prism.
A medium can be filled in the hallow prism, to take the readings
for minimum deviation. This medium can be used in any medium but
except glass.
APPARATUS REQUIRED
 Hollow glass prism
 Bell pins
 Drawing board
 Various liquid like water,
Carbon disulphide, Dilute
Sulphuric acid, Hydrochloric acid,
Ethyl alcohol,
Benz aldehyde, etc.
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 NE on the side AB.
 Fill the prism consecutive liquids to find angle of
deviation of each of the liquid.
 Draw the angle of incidence in accordance with the
normal NE 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 the same.
 Remove the prism and draw the line
joining the points so obtained.
 Mark the diagram as shown in the
figure (1.1).
 Repeat this with different liquids and
different angle of incidence.

Fig: 1.1
 OBSERVATION AND CALCULATION

 Benz aldehyde

S.no Ao(angle of prism) io(angle of incidence) Do(angle of deviation)

1
.
2.
3.
4.
5.

A+ D
sin I 2
μ= =sin .
sin R A
sin( )
2
 Benzaldehyde
46

45

44
Angle of Deviation (Do)

43

42

41

40

39
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
Angle of incidence (io)
  Water

S.no Ao(angle of prism) io(angle of incidence) Do(angle of deviation)

1
.
2.
3.
4.
5.

A+ D
sin I 2
μ= =sin .
sin R A
sin( )
2
 Water
30

25

20
Angle of Deviation (Do)

15

10

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Angle of incidence (io)
  Dilute Sulphuric acid

S.no Ao(angle of prism) io(angle of incidence) Do(angle of deviation)

1
.
2.
3.
4.
5.

A+ D
sin I 2
μ= =sin .
sin R A
sin( )
2
 Dilute Sulphuric Acid
35

30

25
Angle of Deviation (Do)

20

15

10

0
0 10 20 30 40 50
Angle of incidence (io)

 Hydrochloric acid
S.no Ao(angle of prism) io(angle of incidence) Do(angle of deviation)

1
.
2.
3.
4.
5.

A+ D
sin I 2
μ= =sin .
sin R A
sin( )
2
 Hydrochloric acid
35

30

25
Angle of Deviation (Do)

20

15

10

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Angle of incidence (io)

 Ethyl alcohol
S.no Ao(angle of prism) io(angle of incidence) Do(angle of deviation)

1
.
2.
3.
4.
5.

A+ D
sin I 2
μ= =sin .
sin R A
sin( )
2
 Ethyl alcohol
30

25

20
Angle of Deviation (Do)

15

10

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Angle of incidence (io)

CONCLUSION
Refractive indices at room temperature:
A.Benz aldehyde
a. Actual :
b. Experimental :
B.Water
a. Actual :
b. Experimental :
C.Dilute Sulphuric Acid
a. Actual :
b. Experimental :
D.Hydrochloric acid
a. Actual :
b. Experimental :
E. Ethyl alcohol
a. Actual :
b. Experimental :

PRECAUTIONS
 Angle of incidence should lie Between 35 to 60 degree.
 Pins should be vertically fixed and should lie in same
line.
 Distance between 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.

BIOGRAPHY
WEBSITES:
 NCERT.NIC.IN

 www.wikipedia.org

 www.google.com

 Ncert Vol.2