What are the possible sources of error in refractive index experiment?
The index of refraction for all the materials we used can be found by using k = n1/n2. Sources of Error: – Inaccuracies while tracing the laser and measuring the angles. – Impurities in the water and the plastic varying from typical plastic causing the light to travel at a different speed through those materials.
What can affect refractive index?
The two factors which affect the value of the refractive index are:
- Temperature. Refractive index values are usually determined at standard temperature.
- Wavelength of light. The refractive index varies with wavelength linearly because different wavelengths interfere to different extents with the atoms of the medium.
How do you calculate error in refractive index?
The relation between error in refractive index n and thickness error d is given by d ( n − 1 ) n = . (8) Assuming d d , the error in refractive index simply becomes d ( n − 1 )/ d . The simulation results for the dependence of refractive index measurement on thickness measurement are shown in figure 7.
How will you prove the laws of refraction experimentally?
Experimental Verification of Law of refraction
- Place a rectangular glass slab on the white sheet of paper fixed on a drawing board.
- Trace the boundary ABCD of the glass slab.
- Remove the glass slab and draw a normal N1N2 at O.
- Draw a straight line IO inclined at an angle say 300 with the normal.
Why refraction is caused?
Refraction is caused due to the change in speed of light when it enters from one medium to another. When the light goes from air into water, it bends towards the normal because there is a reduction in its speed.
How do impurities affect refractive index?
Impurities of a substance will increase the refractive index of that substance. An increase in the refractive index of a substance means that light will travel more slowly through the substance. More impurities in a substance means there are more opportunities for light to be refracted or bent.
What are parallax errors?
Parallax error occurs when the measurement of an object’s length is more or less than the true length because of your eye being positioned at an angle to the measurement markings. Place the measurement device on its edge so it is level with the object being measured.
How are the laws of reflection and refraction tested?
We did this by testing the laws of reflection, refraction (Snell’s Law), and total internal reflection by conducting four experiments using a focused ray of light, a mirror (flat, concave, convex), a protractor, and a refraction tank.
Is the refraction experiment a success or failure?
The paper “The Refraction Experiment” states that the experiment was relatively successful as demonstrated by the closeness of the experimental results to the results found in the literature. However, this does not imply that the experiment was free of errors. …
How is the angle of refraction related to the incident angle?
Two angles are important in this perspective; the angle of refraction and the incident angle. Refractive index (RI) with regard to Snell’s Law provides a mathematical relationship between the incident angle and the angle of refraction. The light travels in a perpendicular line and RI cannot be measured by comparing the two angles.
What are the conditions for total internal reflection?
The conditions for total internal reflection to occur are: i. Light must be travelling in the more refractive medium. ii. The angle of incidence in the more refractive medium must be larger than the critical angle. The critical angle refers to an angle of incidence that produces a corresponding emerging ray that has an angle of refraction of 90°.