PHYSICS INVESTIGATORY PROJECT

TO FIND REFRACTIVE INDEX OF

TRANSPARENT LIQUIDS USING A
CONCAVE MIRROR.
Aditya Manik
GRADE: XII A
BOARD ROLL NO.:
 Certificate
This is to certify that Aditya Manik of grade
XII has completed the Physics project in partial
fulfilment of the curriculum of All India
Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (CBSE).
The project was completed at R.N. Podar School
during the academic year 2023-2024

Internal Examiner External Examiner

…………………………………… ……………………………………

Principal
School Stamp Signature
…………………………………… ……………………………………
 Acknowledgement
As a student of class XII, I did this project
entitled, ‘Finding the Refractive index of
liquid by concave mirror.’ I owe a deep sense of
gratitude to my physics teacher, Ms Juliet
Christopher whose valuable advice, guidance
helped me in doing this project from conception
to completion.
At the same time, I cannot forget to express my
thankfulness to our coordinator, Ms Anita Sah
and our principal, Ms Avnita Bir for their
generous patronage and constant encouragement.
Finally, I am thankful to my parents and friends
for giving me a helping hand at every step of
the project.
 INDEX
1.Objective
2.Apparatus
3.Theory
4.Procedure
5.Observations
6.Calculations and Graph
7.Results
8.Precautions & Sources of errors
9. Bibliography
 OBJECTIVE:
To determine the refractive index of three
different liquids: Sprite, water, and coconut
oil, using a concave mirror.
 Apparatus:
- Concave mirror
- Light source
- Metre scale
- Optical Needle
- Spherometer
- An iron stand with base and clamp arrangement
- Transparent Liquids(Sprite/ Coconut oil/Water)
 Theory
Refraction and Snell's Law:
Refraction is the bending of light as it passes
from one medium into another, a phenomenon
crucial in the study of optics. When light
travels through different materials, its speed
changes, causing it to change direction. The
degree of bending depends on the refractive
indices of the materials involved.

Snell's Law describes this relationship and is

fundamental to understanding the behavior of
light during refraction.

It is expressed as:
Speed of Light:
Light travels at varying speeds in different
materials, faster in less dense media (e.g.,
air) and slower in denser ones (e.g., glass).

Refractive Index (n):

The refractive index measures a material's
ability to bend light. It is defined as the
ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum to the
speed of light in the medium, denoted as:
n=c/v

Concave Mirrors and Their Role:

Concave mirrors are curved mirrors that have
reflective surfaces on their inner sides. They
are known for their ability to focus light, and
in this experiment, they serve as a critical
component.

Focusing Light:
Concave mirrors cause parallel rays of light to
converge at a focal point. This property makes
them ideal for directing light in a controlled
manner.
 Procedure:
1. Set up the concave mirror on the base of the
iron stand with its reflective side facing
upward.

2. Fix the optical needle into the stand.

3. Adjust the height of the needle by sliding it

up or down on the stand. Observing from
vertically above, adjust the height of the
needle till the tip of its reflection in the
concave mirror seems to be touching the tip
of the needle. Measure the height of the
needle from the base and note it. Do this 3
times to get average reading.

4. Put one of the transparent liquids (Sprite,

water, and coconut oil) onto the mirror.

5. Follow step 3 for each of the transparent

liquids.

6. Record the measurements for each liquid.

 Observations:
For Water:
Sr. No. Height of Height of Refractive
needle in needle in Index (µ0 =
air (uo) medium (u) uo/u)

1. 37.3 28.5 1.30

2. 37.3 28.3 1.31
3. 37.3 28.7 1.29

Average µ for Water = 1.3

For Sprite:
Sr. No. Height of Height of Refractive
needle in needle in Index (µ0 =
air (uo) medium (u) uo/u)
1. 37.3 28 1.33
2. 37.3 27.8 1.34
3. 37.3 28.3 1.31

Average µ for Sprite = 1.326

For Coconut Oil:
Sr. No. Height of Height of Refractive
needle in needle in Index (µ0 =
 air (uo) medium (u) uo/u)
1. 37.3 24 1.554
2. 37.3 23.8 1.56
3. 37.3 24.2 1.54

Average µ for Coconut Oil = 1.551

Calculations:
For Water:
Actual µ = 1.34
Observed µ = 1.3

Error Percentage:-

=|(Actual µ - Observed µ)| × 100 / Actual µ

= (1.34 - 1.3) × 100 / 1.342

= 2.5 %

For Sprite:
Actual µ = 1.395
Observed µ = 1.326

Error Percentage:-
= |(Actual µ - Observed µ)| × 100 / Actual µ
= (1.395 - 1.326) ×100 / 1.395
= 4.9 %

For Coconut Oil:

Actual µ = 1.46
Observed µ = 1.551
Error Percentage
= |(Actual µ - Observed µ)| ×100/ Actual µ
= (1.551 - 1.46)× 100 / 1.46
= 6.2 %
 Results:
Present the refractive indices of Sprite, water,
and coconut oil.

For Water :
Calculated Refractive Index (µ) = 1.3
Error Percent (%) = 2.5 %

For Sprite:
Calculated Refractive Index (µ) = 1.326
Error Percent (%) = 4.9 %

For Coconut oil:

Calculated Refractive Index (µ) = 1.551
Error Percent (%) = 6.2 %
 Precautions:
Clean Mirror: Ensure that the concave
mirror is clean and free from any smudges or
contaminants that could affect the quality of
the reflection.

Safe Handling of Liquids: Be cautious

when handling liquids. Avoid spills on the
mirror, as it can affect the reflection and
measurements.

Average Reading: Take care to obtain

accurate average readings. Ensure that the tip
of the needle's reflection appears to touch the
tip of the actual needle for each measurement.

Label Containers: Clearly label

containers for the transparent liquids to
prevent mix-ups during the experiment.

Calibration: Check the calibration of the

optical needle and the mirror to ensure accurate
measurements.
 Bibliography:
https://youtu.be/aA1kcaSRzbE?si=tB3gdmwhpnLX_qYU