Saint Louis University

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE

​ LABORATORY MANUAL​

Experiment No: 8
Title: REFRACTION OF LIGHT

At the end of this experiment, the student should be able to:

TLO 8: Describe refraction of light through a prism, and discuss the laws and
the parameters related to refraction, solve for the experimental value
of the index of refraction of a material, and to determine the focal
length of a convex lens by different methods.
I. DISCUSSION OF THEORY: (To be submitted by student before the experiment)

II. EQUIPMENT/MATERIALS NEEDED:

triangular prism
pin hammer
meter sticks
white plywood board
incandescent bulb
two convex hand lenses with different focal lengths
pins
protractor
plywood board
ruler
light box

III. PROCEDURE:

A. Using a triangular prism

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i.) Locating the refracted ray:

Figure 7.1
1.​ Place the triangular prism on a sheet of bond paper and trace its
outline marking its corners as M, P and N as shown in Figure 7.2.
Using MN as the base and P as the vertex, mark two points A and B
along the base MN and place two pins upright at these points.
Position a third pin C in such a way that if you look from this pin
through the base MN it will appear to be along the same line as pin A
and the vertex P.
2.​ Locate another pin D in such a way that if you also look from this pin
through base MN it will also appear to be in line with pin B and the
vertex P.
3.​ Remove the prism and all the pins. See to it that the locations of the
pins are marked. Draw a solid line from P to A and to C. This is the
actual path of a ray of light coming from the vertex to your eyes when
you were viewing from pin C. They all appeared to be in line because
the ray was refracted (bent) as it traveled from glass to air.
4.​ Similarly, draw another solid line from P to B and to D. This also
represents the path of a ray of light coming from vertex P to your eyes
when you were viewing from pin D. Place arrowheads to indicate the
direction of the rays. Extend lines CA and DB into the prism outline
by means of broken lines until they intersect. Their intersection is the
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​ LABORATORY MANUAL​

apparent location of the vertex P when you look through base MN of

the prism. Mark this intersection as V.
5.​ Measure lines AP, BP, AV and BV. Compute for the index of refraction
(n) of the prism using the equations:

𝐴𝑃 𝐵𝑃
𝑛= 𝐴𝑉
𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑛= 𝐵𝑉

Record data in Table 7.1

ii.) Determining the index of refraction

∙ B
∙ A

Figure 7.2
3.​ On another sheet of bond paper, position again the prism and trace
an outline of it as shown in (Figure 7.3). Mark two points A and B at
the space to the left of the prism and place pins upright at these
points. It is suggested that these points are not horizontally aligned.
Then, one after the other, locate two other pins C and D on the space
at the other side of the prism in such a way that if you look from
these pins through the prism, they will appear to be along the same
line as pins A and B.
4.​ Remove the prism and the pins. See to it that the locations of the pins
are properly marked. Draw a solid line from A to B and extend it until
it intersects the left side of the prism. Mark this point as O. Also draw
a solid line coming from D to C and extend it until it intersects the
right side of the prism. Mark this point as P. Draw a solid line from O
to P.

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5. The whole solid line drawn connecting points A, B, O, P, C, and D

represents a ray of light as it passes through the prism. Observe how
it bends as it enters (air to glass) and as it leaves (glass to air) the
prism.
6. Using point O as the first point of incidence, draw a normal line EOF
to that side of the prism, then using point P as the second point of
incidence, draw another normal line GPH to that side of the prism.
Measure angles BOE, FOP, OPH and GPC, Compute for the index of
retraction (n) of the prism using the following equations:
𝑠𝑖𝑛 ∠ 𝐵𝑂𝐸 1 𝑠𝑖𝑛 ∠𝑂𝑃𝐻
𝑛= 𝑠𝑖𝑛 ∠ 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑛 = 𝑠𝑖𝑛
𝐹𝑂𝑃 ∠𝐺𝑃𝐶

7. Measure also the total angle of deviation (d). This is the total angle
with which the light ray has bent as it passed through the prism.
Record data in Table 7. 2

B. Using convex lens

Determine focal length of a convex lens using different methods
Note: The varnished side of the plywood board serves as the screen and
object is the lighted figure of an arrow cut from a wire gauze and
mounted at the front of the light box.
1. Using one of the lenses, focus the rays of light from the lighted bulb
into the screen (plywood board). Measure the distance from the lens
to the screen. This distance is the image distance, and it is also the
focal length of the lens. Repeat this process for the other lens. Record
values in Table 7.3.
2. Place the object and the screen at a distance equal to or larger than
four times the focal length f1 of lens 1 as recorded in Table 7.3. Locate
two positions of the lens between the object and the screen where a
clear inverted image is projected on the screen. For each position,
measure the object distance Do and the image distance Di. Compute
for the focal length of the lens using the "Thin Lens Equation" which
is in the form:
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equation 1
Compute the focal length using the equation:

equation 2
​ ​ where:​ x​ =​ distance between the object and the screen ​
​ ​ y ​ = ​ distance between the two positions of the lens
Repeat part 2 for the other lens (lens 2)
Record values in Table 7.4
What can you observe about the values computed using equations 1
and 2?
____________________________________________________________________
3.​ Place the object and the screen at any convenient distance from each
other. With the two lenses in contact, locate the point where the
smallest image is projected on the screen. Measure the distance from
the object, Do to the point of contact of the two lenses. Measure also
the distance from the screen, Di to the point of contact of the lenses.
Compute for the combined focal length (F) of the two lenses using the
derived equation:

​ equation 3
Compute the combined focal length using the equation:

​​ equation 4
Record values in Table 7.5
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What can you observe about the values computed using equations 3
and 4?
_____________________________________________________________________

IV. DATA AND RESULTS:

Table 7.1
AP = BP =
AV = BV =
n= n=
average n =
true value of n =
% error =

Table 7.2
angle BOE = angle OPH =
angle FOP = angle GPC =
n= n=
average n =
% error =
angle of deviation, d =

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When the ray enters the prism (air to glass), does the refracted ray bend
towards or away from the normal? _____________________________________
When the ray leaves the prism (glass to air), does the refracted ray bend
towards or away from the normal? ____________________________________

Table 7.3
lens 1: Di = f1 =
lens 2: Di = f2 =

Table 7.4
Lens 1
Using position 1 Do1 = Di1 = f1 =
Using position 2 Do2 = Di2 = f1 =
Using x and y x = y = f1 =
Lens 2
Using position 1 Do1 = Di1 = f2 =
Using position 2 Do2 = Di2 = f2 =
Using x and y x = y = f2 =

Table 7.5
Object distance, Do (cm) =
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Image Distance, Di (cm) =

Combined focal length, F =
Combined focal length F using f1 and f2 =

V. COMPUTATIONS: (on a separate page)

VI. DIAGRAM OF SET-UP: (on a separate page)

VII. OBSERVATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS: (on a separate page)

VIII. QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS: (on a separate page)

1.​ State the three laws of refraction.

2.​ Prove that the index of refraction is equal to the ratio of the sine of
the angle of incidence to the sine of the angle of refraction.
3.​ What is the critical angle for light passing from glass (n = 1.54) to
water (n = 1.33)?
4.​ A layer of oil (n=1.45) floats on water (n=1.33). A ray of light shines
onto the oil with an incidence angle of 50.0°. Find the angle the ray
makes in the water.
5.​ An object and a screen are 100 cm apart. Two thin lenses of focal
lengths 15cm and 20 cm. are put in contact. a) At what point
between the object and the screen will the smallest image be
projected on the screen? b) if the object is 5 cm. tall how tall is the
smallest image on the screen?
6.​ A 5 cm. upright object is placed 30 cm. in front of a convex lens
whose focal length is 20 cm. For the image formed, determine:
a) the size and distance from the lens; and b) the linear
magnification. Describe the image as to position, magnification and

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type. Prove your answer by constructing a ray diagram drawn to

scale.​

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