KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA MINAMBAKKAM

XIITH PHYSICS PROJECT- 2022-23

Name:
Class:
Roll number:
Topic: 1
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that _____________________________ of Class XII- has

successfully completed her project in the subject Physics on the topic
'Refractive index of water & oil experimentally found using convex
lens and plane mirror' under the guidance of Mrs. Radha Mukundan
Ma'am during the academic year 2022-23 in the partial fulfilment of the
physics practical examination conducted by the CBSE.

Signature of Examiner Signature of teacher

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my immense gratitude to my physics teacher Mrs.

Radha Mukundan for her assistance she had provided which contributed
to the completion of this project.

Secondly, I am grateful towards our school management and our

respected Principal Smt. Chitra Mukundan for the opportunity and
facilities provided to make this project happen.

I am also grateful towards the other members of my group without

whose support this project would have not been fruitful.

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 INDEX

Sl.no Content Page

01 Certificate 2

02 Acknowledgement 3

03 PROJECT 6-9
1. Aim
2. Materials Required
3. Principle
4. Procedure
5. Observation
6. Calculation
7. Precautions
8. Sources of Error

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 PROJECT
AIM
To find the refractive index of water and oil using a convex lens and a plane mirror.

APPARATUS AND MATERIAL REQUIRED

1. Double convex lens (focal length nearly 20 cm)

2. Plane mirror (bigger in size than the aperture of the lens)
3. Laboratory stand fixed with a needle in clamp
4. Metre scale
5. Water dropper

PRINCIPLE

(a) (b)
In this method, a real and inverted image coincides with the object placed on the
principal focus point of a convex lens. The rays from a needle AB placed on the
principal focus F of a convex lens emerges out parallel to its axis. When these rays
fall normally on a plane mirror placed horizontally below the convex lens, they

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retrace their path and form a real and inverted image A′ B′ at the principal focal
plane of the lens.

The size of image A′ B′ is equal to the size of object needle AB and the tip of the
needle gives the position of the second principal focus. Then f (OF) is the focal
length of the convex lens where O is the optical centre of the lens.

Now, if the space between the lens and the plane mirror is filled with a transparent
liquid (say water/oil) having refractive index n, and the above procedure is
repeated to find the position of the principal focus F in the new situation then the
distance between the optical centre O of the lens and point F′, OF′ (say f ′) would be
the focal length of the combination of the two lenses (plano-concave lens).

The focal length fw of water lens can be determined from the relation between the
three focal lengths.

Using lens maker's formula for plano-concave lens, we can find the refractive index
of each of the liquids using the simplied equation,

where f is the focal length of concave lens and f' is the combined focal length of the
liquid lens.

PROCEDURE
1. Place the plane mirror on the base of a rigid laboratory stand keeping its
reflecting surface upwards.

2. Place the convex lens on the plane mirror.

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 3. Fix a needle in the clamp and place it horizontally and above the lens. Adjust the
position of the needle such that its tip B lies vertically above the optical centre of the
convex lens.

4. Shift the clamped needle gradually upward looking at the image and bring it to a
height such that the tip B of the needle exactly coincides with the tip of its image B′.

Ensure that there is no parallax between the object needle and its image. Measure
the distance OF [Fig.1 (a)]

For this, observe the distances of the needle from the surfaces of the lens and
mirrow and take OF = f as the average of these two distances.

5. With the help of a dropper, put a few drops of water under the lens so that the
space between mirror and lens is filled with water.

6. Move the object needle upward and remove the parallax between the tip of the
object needle and its image formed by the lens mirror system. Measure the distance
OF′ [Fig.1(b)].

Here again, measure the distances of the needle from the two surfaces and take
OF′ f ′ as their average.

7. Repeat the experiment with oil and record your observations.

OBSERVATIONS

Position of needle from convex lens and plane mirror

Without any liquid in between With water in between lens With oil in between lens and
lens and mirror and mirror mirror

Distance of Distance of Distance of Distance of Distance of Distance of

needle from needle from needle from needle from needle from needle from
lens (a) mirror (b) lens (a) mirror (b) lens (a) mirror (b)

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 Average Average Average

CALCULATIONS

Focal length of lens= cm

Focal length of plano-concave lens (with water )= cm

Focal length of plano-concave lens (with oil)= cm

Refractive index of water

nwater= =

Refractive index of oil

noil = =

PRECAUTIONS

1. Needle should be kept horizontal and its tip should be above the optical centre of
the lens on its vertical principal axis otherwise it will be difficult to remove the
parallax.

2. The thin lens should be used so that the distance measured from its surface is
nearly equal to the distance measured from the optical centre. Still it is better to
measure distance from both the surfaces and take the average for f or f ′.

3. Water should be gently put between the mirror and the lens surface with the help
of a dropper so that it may fill up the air space between them without disturbing the
position of the lens.

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SOURCES OF ERROR

1. Two surfaces of the convex lens may not have the same radius of curvature.

2. The plane mirror may not be horizontal.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
NCERT Physics lab manual 2022-23
www.youtube.com