PHYSICS INVESTIGATORY PROJECT

ACADEMIC YEAR 2022-2023

TOPIC : TO FIND REFRACTIVE INDEX OF WATER AND OIL USING A PLANE

MIRROR AND CONVEX LENS

Name : R BHARATH KAARTHIC

Class : XII A

Roll number :
 CERTIFICATE

Certified that this is bonafide work done by R BHARATH KAARTHIC of class XII A

during the academic year 2022-2023.

Internal examiner

Principal

External examiner

Submitted to All India Senior School Certificate Examination- Physics Practical held
on __________________ at Kendriya Vidyalaya AFS Sulur.
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I hereby thank Mr.R.Chandrakaladharan, PGT Physics KV AFS Sulur for guiding me

to make my project a successful one.

NAME: R BHARATH KAARTHIC

CLASS: XII A

ROLL NUMBER :
 INDEX

S.No Content Page number

1 Aim 5

2 Apparatus required 5

3 Theory 5

4 Procedure 6

5 Diagram 6

6 Observation 7

7 Calculation 7

8 Conclusion 8

9 Precautions 8

10 Sources of error 8

11 Bibliography 8
AIM:

To find refractive index of water and oil using a plane mirror, equiconvex lens and
an adjustable object needle.

APPARATUS
 Convex Lens
 Plane Mirror
 Optical Needle
 Water and oil in a clean beaker
 An iron stand with base and clamp arrangement
 Plane glass slab
 Plumb Line
 Spherometer
 Half metre scale

THEORY:
Let us consider f1 and f2 to be the focal length of the glass convex lens and liquid
lens respectively and let F be the focal length of their combination, then
1F=1f1+1f2
From the lens maker’s formula
We have,
1f2=(n−1)[1R1−1R2]
Simplifying further, we get
1/f2=(n−1)R

Inserting values of f2, n can be calculated.

DIAGRAM:

PROCEDURE:

For the focal length of the convex lens,

 Choose a convex lens and find its rough focal length.

 Place the plane mirror on the horizontal base of the iron stand
 Place the convex lens on the plane mirror
 Screw tight the optical needle in the clamp of the stand and hold it
horizontally above the lens at a distance equal to its rough focal length.
 Bring the tip of the needle to the principal vertical axis of the lens so the tip
of the needle appears to be touching the tip of its image.
 Move the needle up and down and remove the parallax between the tips of
the needle and its image.
 Measure the distance between the tip and upper surface of the lens using a
plumb line and half metre scale.
 Also, measure the distance between the tip and the surface of its plane
mirror.

For the Focal Length of the Combination

 Take a few drops of transparent liquid on the plane mirror and put a convex
mirror over it.
 Repeat 6, 7 and 8.
  Record your observations.

OBSERVATION:

1. The rough focal length of convex lens = 11 cm

Arrangement The distance of Needle Tip Focal

Length
From lens From plane mirror Mean
surface x1 (cm) x2 (cm) (cm) x (cm)

Without Liquid 10.2 10.5 10.35 F =10.35

With Water 14.5 14.7 14.6 F1 =14.6

With oil 19.3 19.5 19.4 F2= 19.4

The radius of curvature of the convex lens surface, R =22 cm

CALCULATIONS:

 Refractive index of water(n1) = 2- fo/fwater

= 2 – 10.35/14.6

= 1.292

 Refractive index of oil(n2) = 2 – fo/foil

 = 2 – 10.35/19.4

= 1.467

RESULT:

 Refractive index of water = 1.292

 Refractive index of oil = 1.467

PRECAUTIONS:
1. Only a few drops of liquid should be taken so as not to thicken the layer.
2. The parallax should be removed tip to tip.
3. The liquid taken should be transparent.

SOURCES OF ERROR
1. The liquid may not be quite transparent.
2. The parallax may not be fully removed.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

 NCERT Physics textbook

 NCERT class 12 Physics lab manual
 www.wikipedia.org
 https://refractiveindex.info/
 https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/refractive-index-d_1264.html