(Write on the RULED SIDE of the lab record book)

DEVIATION PRODUCED IN A RAY BY AN EQUILATERAL PRISM

AIM : To observe the deviation produced in a ray by an equilateral prism and hence to verify ;
i + e = A + δ , where A stands for angle of the prism and δ for angle of deviation.

APPARATUS : A soft plane board, white sheet of paper, an equilateral prism, thumb pins, common
pins and a protractor.

PROCEDURE :
1. Place the given white sheet of paper on the soft board and fix it using thumb pins.
2. Place the prism and mark its outline. Mark the prism edges as PQR.
3. Mark a point A somewhere close to the centre on side PQ of the prism. Draw a normal NAN' on PQ
at A.
4. Draw an incident ray OA, which strike the prism surface PQ at an angle of 50˚ to form an angle of
incidence of 40˚.
5. Fix two common pins P1 and P2 vertically straight on line OA at an approximate gap of 4 cm from
each other.
6. Bring your eye in line with the images of pins P1 and P2 and fix third pin P3 on the board in such a way
that when seen through the prism, pin P3 and the two images of P1 and P2 are exactly in line.
7. Repeat the same procedure to fix another pin P4 in line.
8. Draw a line BC by joining the positions of points P3 and P4. BC represents the emergent ray.
9. Join points A & B. AB represents the refracted ray.
10. Mark angles i, r1, e, r2 and δ on the diagram. Measure these angles and record the measurements in
observation.

CONCLUSIONS :
1. Since the angle of deviation is different for different angles of incidence, it implies that the deviation
produced in a ray by a prism depends on the angle of incidence.
2. It was verified that sum of the angle of incidence (i) and angle of emergence (e), is equal to the sum
of the angle of the prism (A) and angle of deviation (δ)
∠i +∠e = ∠A + ∠δ

(See next page for OBSERVATIONS)

 (Write on the UNRULED SIDE of the lab record book)
(Write only with a pencil)

OBSERVATIONS :

Angle of the prism (∠A) =

Angle of incidence (∠i) =
∠e = ____________
∠δ = ____________
∠i + ∠e = ____________
∠A + ∠δ = ____________