THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN

THE TEMPERATURE AND THE

REFRACTIVE INDEX
BY: AUNG QINKANG
KOH WEI MING
TEO JUN LONG
 INTRODUCTION:
• The concept of this experiment is based on the discovery of mirage. A
mirage is a naturally occurring optical phenomenon in which light rays bend
to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky.
• Mirages can be categorized as "inferior" (meaning lower), "superior"
(meaning higher) and "Fata Morgana", one kind of superior mirage
consisting of a series of unusually elaborate, vertically stacked images, which
form one rapidly changing mirage
 INTRODUCTION:
• Heat haze, also called heat shimmer, refers to the inferior mirage experienced
when viewing objects through a layer of heated air; for example, viewing
objects across hot asphalt or through the exhaust gases produced by jet
engines. When appearing on roads due to the hot asphalt, it is often referred
to as a highway mirage.
• Light from the sky at a shallow angle to the road is refracted by the index
gradient, making it appear as if the sky is reflected by the road's surface. The
mind interprets this as a pool of water on the road, since water also reflects
the sky. The illusion fades as one gets closer.
 ABSTRACT:
• Heat haze is caused by a temperature difference between layers of air and the
effect of the different densities on refraction of light. So, for example the
surface of a ramp/runway heats the air directly above it, and this causes heat
haze as it mixes with the cooler air higher up.
• According to the research of University of Toronto, the factors that affect
the refractive index are:
1. Temperature
2. Wavelength of light
 ABSTRACT:
• Refractive index values are usually determined at standard temperature.
• A higher temperature means the liquid becomes less dense and less viscous,
causing light to travel faster in the medium. This results in a smaller value for
the refractive index due to a smaller ratio.
• A lower temperature means the liquid becomes denser and has a higher
viscosity, causing light to travel slower in the medium. This results in a larger
value for the refractive index due to a larger ratio.