Anil Kumar - Refractive Indices of (A) Water (B) Oil

Affiliation No.
1720992
Session: 2023-2024
INVESTIGATORY PROJECT
REPORT
ON
“To find the refractive indices of (a) water (b) oil
(transparent) using a plane mirror, an equiconvex lens
(made from a glass of known refractive index) and an
adjustable object needle”
Submitted To:- Submitted By:-

MR. DEEPAK KR. SHARMA ANIL KUMAR
DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS CLASS: XII-A
AIS, JAIPUR, ROLL NO.: 11665589
DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS, AIS,
JAIPUR (RAJ.)
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that Anil Kumar bearing Roll Number
11665589 is a student of Class XII-A. He has successfully
completed his Physics Investigatory project titled ““To
find the refractive indices of (a) water (b) oil (transparent)
using a plane mirror, an equiconvex lens (made from a glass
of known refractive index) and an adjustable object needle”
as per the guidelines of Central Board of Secondary
Education for the academic year 2023-2024.
It is further certified that this project is the individual and

bonafide work of the candidate.
Signature of Physics Teacher : ______________
Signature of External Examiner: ______________
Signature of Principal : ______________

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
It gives me immense pleasure to present the Project on “To find

the refractive indices of (a) water (b) oil (transparent) using
a plane mirror, an equiconvex lens (made from a glass of
known refractive index) and an adjustable object needle”
” I would like to express my gratitude towards my I express my
special gratitude to my principal, Ms. Karuna Nagpal for
allowing me to do this project.
I give my special thanks to my Physics Teacher Mr. Deepak

Kumar Sharma for helping me in every regard. Under whose
guidance and constant Supervision the project has been
completed. The instruction and Suggestions given by him have
been a major contributor forwards the completion of the project.
At the same time, I am very thankful to my parents who

provided all necessary things and my friends helping me a lot. I
am thankful to CBSE for giving me this opportunity.
Overall, without the support of all these people this project

could not be successful.
.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CERTIFICATE ......................................................................2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .......................................................3
1. Introduction ................................................................5
2. Experiment ..................................................................6
2.1 Objective: ...............................................................6
2.2 Apparatus Required: .................................................7
2.2 Diagram..................................................................7
2.4 Theory .....................................................................7
2.5 Procedure ................................................................9
2.6 RESULTS: .................................................................11
2.7 PRECAUTIONS: ........................................................11
2.8 SOURCES OF ERROR: ...............................................12
3. Bibliography .............................................................13
1. Introduction
Refractive index, measure of the bending of a ray of light when
passing from one medium into another. If i is the angle of
incidence of a ray in vacuum (angle between the incoming ray
and the perpendicular to the surface of a medium, called the
normal) and r is the angle of refraction (angle between the ray in
the medium and the normal), the refractive index n is defined as
the ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the
angle of refraction; i.e., n = sin i / sin r. Refractive index is also
equal to the velocity of light c of a given wavelength in empty
space divided by its velocity v in a substance, or n = c/v.
Some typical refractive indices for yellow light (wavelength equal
to 589 nanometres [10−9 metre]) are the following: air, 1.0002;
water, 1.222; crown glass, 1.517; dense flint glass, 1.655; and
diamond, 2.417. The variation of refractive index with wavelength
is the source of chromatic aberration in lenses.
The refractive index of X-rays is slightly less than 1.0, which

means that an X-ray entering a piece of glass from air will be bent
away from the normal, unlike a ray of light, which will be bent
toward the normal.
The equation
n = c/v
in this case indicates, correctly, that the velocity of X-rays in glass

and in other materials is greater than its velocity in empty space.
2. Experiment
2.1 Objective:
To find the refractive indexes of
(a)water
(b) oil
using a plane mirror, an equiconvex lens, and an adjustable

object needle.
2.2 Apparatus Required:
A convex lens, a plane mirror, water, oil, clamp, stand, an optical

needle, plumb line, knitting needle, half meter scale, glass slab, a
spherometer.
2.2 Diagram
Fig: Focal length of glass convex les and liquid lens

combination
2.4 Theory
1. If f1 and f2 be the focal length of the glass convex lens and liquid
lens and f be the focal length of their combination then:-
= or f2 =
2.Liquid lens formed a plano-concave kens with R1 = R and R2 = ∞

then by using lens make’s formula
( )⌊ ⌋
=( )⌊ ⌋
= (n-1)⌊ ⌋
n=
Where n=Refractive index of the liquid
R=The radius of the curvature of the convex lens.
2.The radius of the lower surface of the convex lens is given by:
R=
Here, l is the average distance between the legs of the spherometer and
h is the difference in the reading of the spherometer when placed first on
the convex lens and then on plane mirror.
2.5 Procedure
(a) For focal length of convex lens:

1.Find the rough focal length of the convex lens.
2.Place a plane mirror on the horizontal base of the iron stand and
then a convex lens on the plane mirror.
2.Hold the needle in the clamp stand and adjust its position on the
stand such that there is no parallax between tip of the needle and
its image.
4.Measure distance between tip and upper surface of the lens by
using a plumb line and half meter scale. Also measure the
distance between tip of needle and upper surface of the mirror.
Take the mean of the two readings. This mean distance will be
equal to the focal length of the convex lens(f1).
(b) For focal length of the combination.
5.Put a few drops of the water on the plane mirror and put the
convex lens over it with its same face above as before. The
water spreads in a form of layer and acts like a plano-concave
lens.
6.Repeat the steps 2 and 4 to determine the equivalent focal

length of the combination.
7.Record the observation.
8.Repeat the steps 5,6,7 for other transparent liquid(oil).
(c) For radius of curvature of convex lens surface:

9.Determine the pitch and the least count of the spherometer.
10.Remove the convex lens and dry it completely. Put the
spherometer on this lens surface.
11.All the three legs of the spherometer should be placed
symmetrically on the lens and adjust the central screw tip to
touch the surface of the lens.
12.Remove the spherometer from the surface of the lens and place
on the plane mirror surface and record the reading.
12.Repeat the steps 10 and 11 three times.
14.Obtain the impressions of the three legs of the spherometer on a
paper and mark them and their average distance.
l=
2.6 RESULTS:
With the help of procedure, we can calculate the
1. The refractive index of water &

2. The refractive index of other liquid.
2.7 PRECAUTIONS:
1. The plane mirror should be clean and fully shining
surface.
2. The liquid taken should be transparent.
3. The parallax should be removed tip to tip.
4. The eye should be at a distance about 20 cm from the
needle while removing the parallax.
5. Only few drops of liquid should be taken so that its layer
should be thick.
6. The legs of the spherometer should be vertical.
7. The centre leg of the spherometer should turn in one
direction only.
2.8 SOURCES OF ERROR:
1. Liquid may not be quite transparent.
2. The parallax may not be fully removed.
3. The spherometer legs should be placed symmetrical on
the surface of the convex lens.
4. The tip of the central screw should not just touch the
surface of lens or mirror.
3. Bibliography
o NCERT physics class XII

o Smith, J. A. (Year). Optics and Light Experiments.
Academic Press.
o Johnson, M. R. (Year). Fundamentals of Optics.
Journal of Optical Sciences, 15(3), 123-145.

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Affiliation No.

Submitted To:- Submitted By:-

It is further certified that this project is the individual and

Signature of Physics Teacher : ______________

Signature of External Examiner: ______________

Signature of Principal : ______________

It gives me immense pleasure to present the Project on “To find

I give my special thanks to my Physics Teacher Mr. Deepak

At the same time, I am very thankful to my parents who

Overall, without the support of all these people this project

The refractive index of X-rays is slightly less than 1.0, which

in this case indicates, correctly, that the velocity of X-rays in glass

using a plane mirror, an equiconvex lens, and an adjustable

A convex lens, a plane mirror, water, oil, clamp, stand, an optical

Fig: Focal length of glass convex les and liquid lens

2.Liquid lens formed a plano-concave kens with R1 = R and R2 = ∞

Where n=Refractive index of the liquid

R=The radius of the curvature of the convex lens.

(a) For focal length of convex lens:

(b) For focal length of the combination.

6.Repeat the steps 2 and 4 to determine the equivalent focal

7.Record the observation.

8.Repeat the steps 5,6,7 for other transparent liquid(oil).

(c) For radius of curvature of convex lens surface:

1. The refractive index of water &

o NCERT physics class XII

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