CONTENTS

[Link] TITLE PAGE NO.

1 INTRODUCTION 1
2 AIM 2
3 APPARATUS 2
4 THEORY 3
5 PRINCIPLE OF 6
LDR
6 CIRCUIT 8
DIAGRAM
7 PROCEDURE 9
8 OBSERVATION 10
9 RESULT 12
10 APPLICATION 13
11 SOURCE OF 14
ERROR
12 PRECAUTION 14
13 CONCLUSION 15
14 BIBLIOGRAPHY 16
 INTRODUCTION

In optics, a prism is a transparent optical element with flat, polished

surfaces that refracts light. The exact angles between the surfaces
depend on the application. The traditional geometrical shape is that of
a triangular prism with a triangular base and rectangular sides, and in
daily use “prism” usually refers to this type. Some types of optical
prism are not in fact in the shape of geometric prisms.

Prisms can be made from any material that is transparent to the

wavelengths for which they aredesigned. Typical materials include
glass, plastic and fluorite. Prism can be used to break light up into its
constituent spectral colors (the colors of the rainbow).

Prisms can also be used to reflect light, or to split light into

components with different polarizations. Before Isaac Newton, it was
believed that whitelight was colorless, and that the prism itself
produced the color. Newton’s experiments demonstrated that all
thecolors already existed in the light in a heterogeneous fashion, and
that “corpuscles” (particles) of light were fanned out.

Different speeds through the prism. It was only later that Young and
Fresnel combined Newton’s particle theory with Huygens’ wave
theory to show that color is the visible manifestation of light’s
wavelength.

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Newton arrived at his conclusion by passing the red color from one
prism through second prism and found the color unchanged

From this, he concluded that the colors must already be present in the
incoming light and white light consists of a collection of colors.

As the white light passes through the triangular prism, the light
separates into the collection ofcolors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue,
indigo and violet.

This collection of colors formed by the prism is called the spectrum.

The separation of white light into its spectrum is known as dispersion.
Dispersion occurs because each color travel through the prism at
different speeds.

Violet travels the slowest through the prism; hence we can see it
refractingthe most. On the other hand, red passes through at amuch
fast rate which makes its angle of refraction less, hence red is too
scarce to be seen.

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 AIM

To investigate the dependance of the angle of deviation on the angle

of incidence using a hollow prism filled, one-by-one, with different

transparent fluids.

APPARATUS

Drawing board, white sheets of paper, hollow prism, different liquids

(water, kerosene oil, spirit, etc.) drawing pins, pencil, half metre scale

thump pins, graph papers and a protractor.

THEORY

Refraction of Light Through a Prism

Diagram shows section ABC of a prism taken by a vertical plane,

perpendicular to the edge. BC is the base of the prism and AB and AC

are its two refracting surfaces.

RQ is the incident ray.

QS is the refracted ray.

ST is the emergent ray.

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 Refraction through a prism

∠ RQ𝑁1 = i = angle of incidence

∠ SQ𝑁3 = 𝑟1 = angle of refraction inside prism

∠ QS𝑁3 = 𝑟2= angle of incidence inside prism

∠TS𝑁2 = e = angle of emergence

∠BAC =A= angle of prism angle

∠SFK = D = angle of deviation

In △QFS, ∠KFS = ∠FQS+ ∠ FSQ

D = (l - 𝑟1) + (e - 𝑟2)...................................................(1)

D = 1 + e - (𝑟1 + 𝑟2)...................................................(2)

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 In △Q𝑆1𝑁3 , 𝑟1 + 𝑟2+ ∠Q𝑁3S = 180°

The quadrilateral AQ𝑁3S is cyclic quadrilateral, then

A+ ∠Q𝑁3S = 180 ° ………(3)

From (2) and (3),

A = 𝑟1+ 𝑟2

Eq. (1) becomes,

D =i+e-A

D+A=i+e

Angle of Minimum Deviation :

(a) Definition. The minimum value of angle of deviation, is called

angle of minimum deviation. It is represented by the symbol 𝐷𝑚.

(b) Explanation. For same angle of deviation (D) there are two values

of angle of incidence. One value equals i and other value equals 'e'.
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As angle i is increased from a small value, e decreases from large

value and angle of deviation decreases. When angle of deviation is

minimum (𝐷𝑚), then, i and e become equal.

The refracted ray QS goes parallel to base BC. Since i = e, we have

𝑟= sin sin 𝑒
𝑟2
1 𝑖( n= =sin 𝑟2 )
sin
𝑟1

Hence, at minimum deviation, when 𝑟1 = 𝑟2= r (say)

we have, A = 𝑟1+ 𝑟2 = r + r = 2r or r

=A/2 Also, at minimum deviation, D = 𝐷𝑚 and i

= e From relation, A+D=i+

𝐴+ 𝐷𝑚

𝐷𝑚
we have, A +
2
= i + i = 2i or i=

sin 𝑖
sin 𝑟
From Snell's law, n=

𝐴+ 𝐷𝑚
We have n = sin 2
sin �
�

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This relation is useful for determination of a for prism material

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 DIAGRAM

Refraction through prism at different angles.

PROCEDURE

1. Fix a white sheet of paper on the drawing board with the help of
drawing pins.

2. Draw a straight line XX' parallel to the length of the paper nearly in
the middle of the paper.

3. Mark points 𝑄1, 𝑄2, 𝑄3... on the straight line XX' at suitable
distances of about 5 cm.

4. Draw normals 𝑁1𝑄1 , 𝑁2𝑄2, 𝑁3𝑄3…. on points 𝑄1 ,𝑄2, 𝑄3

...a shown in diagram.

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5. Draw straight lines 𝑅1𝑄1, 𝑅2𝑄2, 𝑅3𝑄3.... making angles of
35°, 40°…..60° (write value of the angles on the paper) respectively
with the normals.

6 . Mark one corner of the prism as A and take it as the edge of the
prism for all the observations

7. Put it prism with its refracting face AB in the line XX' and point
𝑄1, in the middle of AB.

8. Mark the boundary of the prism.

9. Fix two or more office pin 𝑃1 and 𝑃2 vertically on the line

𝑅1𝑄1. The distance between the pins should be 10 mm or more.

10. Look at the images of point 𝑃1 and 𝑃2 through face AC.

11. Close your left eye and bring open right eye in line with the two
images.

12. Fix two office pins 𝑃3 and 𝑃4 vertically, and 10 cm apart such
that the open right eye sees pins 𝑃4 and 𝑃3 and images of 𝑃2 and
𝑃1 in one straight line.

13. Remove pins 𝑃3 and 𝑃4 and encircle their pricks on the paper.

14. Mark with points 𝑄1 , 𝑄2 , 𝑄3... for i =40°, 60°. Put it prism
with its refracting face AB in the line XX' and point 𝑄1, in the middle
of AB

15. Mark the boundary of the prism.

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16. Fix two or more office pin 𝑃1 and 𝑃2 vertically on the line
𝑅1𝑄1.

The distance between the pins should be 10 mm or more.

17. Look at the images of point 𝑃1 and 𝑃2 through face AC

18. Close your left eye and bring open right eye in line with the two
images.

19. Fix two office pins 𝑃3 and 𝑃4 vertically, and 10 cm apart such
that the open right eye sees pins 𝑃4 and 𝑃3 and images of 𝑃2 and
𝑃1 in one straight line

20. Remove pins 𝑃3 and 𝑃4 and encircle their pricks on the paper.

To measure D in different cases

21. Draw straight lines through points 𝑃4 and 𝑃3, (pin pricks) to
obtain emergent rays 𝑆1𝑇1 , 𝑆2𝑇2 , 𝑆3𝑇3 ….

22. Produce 𝑇1𝑆1, 𝑇2𝑆2, 𝑇3𝑆3 …. inward in the boundary of the

prism to meet produced incident rays 𝑅1𝑄1 , 𝑅2𝑄2 ,
𝑅3𝑄3... at points
𝐹1 , 𝐹2 , 𝐹3....

23. Measure angles 𝐾1𝑆1𝐹1, 𝐾2𝑆2𝐹2, 𝐾3𝑆3𝐹3….. These give

angle of deviation 𝐷1, 𝐷2, 𝐷3 ….

24. Write values of these angles on the paper

To measure A

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25. Measure angle BAC in the boundary of the prism. This gives
angle A.

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26. Record your observations as given below.

OBSERVATIONS

Angle of hollow prism A = 60 degree

[Link]. Angle of Angle of Angle of Angle of

∠i ∠D
incidence deviation deviation deviation
for
for for
water
kerosene turpentine
oil oil

1
2
3 4 5

1. 40 ° 23 º 36 º 32 º

2. 45 ° 24 º 33 º 33 º

3. 50 ° 25 º 34 º 34 º

4. 55 ° 26 º 35 º 35 º

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 CALCULATIONS

Plot the graphs between angle of incidence (∠i) and angle of

deviation (∠D) by taking i along X-axis and ∠D along Y-axis for

each transparent liquid. From the graph find the value of angle of

minimum deviation Dm corresponding to the lowest point of the

graph. Let the value of angle of minimum deviation,

𝐷𝑚 = 23º

Then refractive index of the transparent medium,

𝐴+ 𝐷𝑚
sin
2
𝐴
sin
n=
2

The speed of light in a transparent medium

is,

v=𝑐
𝑛

where speed of light in air, c = 3 x108 m/s.

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 Fig. Graph between angle of incidence and angle of deviation

RESULTS

1. The i-D graph indicates that as the angle of incidence (1) increases,

the angle of deviation (D) first decreases, attains a minimum value

(𝐷𝑚) and then again start increasing for further increase in angle of

incidence.

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2. The angle of minimum deviation for

(a) Water, 𝐷𝑚 = 23º

(b) Keroseme, 𝐷𝑚 = 33º

(c) Tupentine oil , 𝐷𝑚 = 32º

3. The refractive indices of the

(a) Water,n = 1.33

(b) Kerosene oil, n = 1.44

(c) Turpentine oil, n= 1.47

4. Speed of light in

(a) Water,v = 2.25×108 m/s

(b) Kerosene oil, v = 2.08×108 m/s

(c) Turpentine oil, v = 2×108 m/s

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 PRECAUTIONS

1. The angle of incidence should lie between 35º-60º

2. The pins should be fixed vertical

3. The distance between the two points should not be less than 10

mm.

4. Arrow heads should be marked to represent the incident and the

emergent rays

5. The same angle of prism should be used for all the observations

SOURCES OF ERRORS
1. Pin pricks may be thick

2. Measurement of angles may be wrong

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 CONCLUSION

The angle of deviation is the angle between the incident ray and the
emergent ray when a ray of light passes from one medium to another.

The angle of incidence can be defined as the angle between a ray

incident on a surface and the line perpendicular to the surface at the
point of incidence (called normal).

The refractive index change when the liquid used in the prism changes
refractive index of a liquid depends on its optical density and the angle
of incidence.

These observation may also be affected by the physical conditions like

humidity and temperature of surroundings.

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY

 Comprehensive practical physics class 12 laxmi publications

 Class 12 NCERT text book

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