UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA

CAMPUS KOTA KINABALU

GEOMETRICAL OPTICS (PHY250)

LABORATORY REPORT
EXPERIMENT
TITLE
NAME
ID NUMBER
GROUP CLASS
GROUP LAB
PARTNERS

1
REFRACTIVE INDEX OF PRISM
CHARLES ROLEND RICHARD
2013219228
AS1204A3

DATE
DUE DATE

17th DECEMBER 2014

14th JANUARY 2015

Lab report (8)

Marks

1. JUEM BIN PANAMBONG

(2013634482)
2. MOHD ZUL HAFIZ BIN RAMLI
(2013485426)
3. MOHD ASYRAF BIN REFDIN
(2013865672)

Skills (6)

Attitude &
Team work
(6)

Total (20)

Title
To determine the refractive index of a glass prism using a spectrometer

Objective
To determine the refractive index of a glass prism using the Minimum Deviation

Pre Lab Discussion

1. Explain the meaning of the phrase the refractive index of water is 1.33.
-The speed of light in the water is 1.33 times slower than the speed of light in
the air.
2. What happens to the velocity of light as it moves from air into a medium of
higher optical density?
-The velocity of light will decreases when it is a medium of higher optical
density.

Apparatus
1.
2.
3.
4.

Spectrometer
Lamp holder
Sodium lamp
Glass prism

Theory
Refraction through a prism
Consider a ray HM incident on a prism of refracting angle A in figure 1. If i 1, r1, i2 and
r2 are the angles of incident and refraction at M and N shown and n is the refractive
index of the prism then, by using the law of refraction,
sin i1 =nsinr 1
sin i 2=nsinr 2

Figure 1

From the geometry of the figure, we can write:

A = r1 + r2 as the angle NST is the exterior angle of the triangle MSN.
The deviation angle, D, of the light (angle BOK) is given by:
D = (i1 r1) + (i2 r2)

Minimum deviation
Experiment shows that as the angle of incidence i is increased from zero, the
deviation D begins to decrease continuously to some value Dm and then increases
to maximum as i is increased further to 90 o. Experiment and theory shows that the
minimum deviation, Dm, of the light occurs when i1 = i2 and r1 = r2 = r. Then we can
write equation as:
n=

sini
sinr

A=2r

D m=2 i2 r=2 i A
i=

Dm+ A
2
Substituting equation gets the refractive index of the prism:
Dm + A
2
A
sin
2

sin
n=

Procedure
To find the refracting angle angle, A
1. The prism was placed on the table of the spectrometer with the angle to be
measured of the directed toward the lens of the collimeter. The incident light
illuminated the two surfaces containing the refracting angle A with parallel
light.
2. The telescope was turned until an image formed by reflection on the surface
of prism.
3. By reading the scale, the position of the telescope (A 1) was determined
4. The telescope was turned in the opposite direction to get another image of the
slit reflected on the second face of the prism and the position (A 2) was
determined.
5. The angle of rotation of the telescope from T 1 to T2 is equal to A1 + A2 = 2A,
hence the angle the prism, A was obtained.
6. Step 2 to 5 was repeated and another for 2A is obtained. The average A had
calculated.

Figure 2
To find the angle of the minimun deviation,

Dm

1. The glass prism was placed with its refracting angle A pointing away from
collimator, as shown in figure 2.
2. The telescope was turned until image of the slit obtaied on the cross-wires at
the position T1.
3. The table was rotated slowly so that the angle of incidence decreased and the
image of the slit was kept on the cross-wires by moving the telescope at the
same time.
4. The telescope was turned until got the spectral and the minimun deviation
angle,

Dm ,for each spectral line was measured and recorded.

Dm

5. Step 1 to 4 was repeated to get another value for

and the average

Dm was calculated.

Result/Data
Refracting angle, A:
Attempt

1st telescope reading

2nd telescope reading

2A

1
2

116.5
108.0

273.5
269.5

157.0
161.5
Averag

78.5
80.75
79.6

e
Minimum deviation,

Attempt
1
2

Dm

1st telescope reading

104.0
112.0

2nd telescope reading

23.5
30.0
Average

Dm
80.5
82.0
81.3

Calculation
Dm + A
2
A
sin
2

sin

Refractive index, n

sin

31.3+79.6
2
79.6
sin
2

0.99
0.64

= 1.55
Therefore, the index of refractive of glass prism is 1.55

Discussions
From the experiment that we have concucted, the index of refractive of glass prism
we get is 1.55. This value is still at the range of the theoretical or standard value of
glass prism that is 1.4 until 1.6. We calculate the value of the index of refractive by
using the equation below:
Dm + A
2
A
sin
2

sin

Refractive index, n

During the experiment that we conduct, there are less percentage errors that
effecting the messurement of the angle because the value that we get is still at the
range of the theoretical or standard value of glass prism. However, there are some

precautions steps that we use to avoid any error occur in our experiment. The steps
that we use are make sure the light rays that come out of collimator are parallel.
Hence, the collimator must be focussed properly before begin the experiment.
Another step is make sure the slit must be as thin as possible in order to avoid
diffraction.

Conclusion
The refractive index of glass prism is 1.55.