Date: EXPERIMENT NO.
Aim
To find the focal length of a convex mirror, using a convex lens.
Apparatus
An optical bench with four uprights (two fixed uprights in middle, two outer uprights
with lateral movement), convex lens (20 cm focal length), convex mirror, a lens
holder, a mirror holder, two optical needles, (one thin, one thick) a knitting needle,
and a half metre scale.
Theory
Ray Diagram
Procedure
1. Determine the rough focal length of Convex lens.
To set the lens
2. Clamp the holder with lens in a fixed upright and keep the
upright at 50 cm mark.
3. Adjust the lens such that its surface is vertical and perpendicular
to the length of the optical bench.
4. Keep the upright fixed in this position throughout.
To set the object needle
5. Take the thin optical needle as object needle (O). Mount it in
outer laterally move-able upright near zero end.
6. Move the object needle upright and clamp it at a distance (in full
cm) nearly 1.5 times the obtained rough focal length of the lens.
7. Adjust height of the object needle to make its tip lie on horizontal
line through the optical centre of the lens.
8. Note the position of the index mark on the base of the object
needle upright.
To set the convex mirror
9. Clamp the holder with convex mirror in second fixed upright near the
lens upright, keeping reflecting surface of the mirror towards lens.
10. Adjust the height of the mirror to make its pole lie on horizontal line
through the optical centre of the lens.
11. Make the mirror surface vertical and perpendicular to the length of the
optical bench (the principal axes of mirror and lens must coincide.)
12. Move towards zero end of the optical bench (where object needle is
mounted).
13. Closing left eye, keep open right eye about 30 cm away from the tip of
the object needle.
14. See the inverted image of the object needle (formed by reflection from
the convex mirror).
15. Keep the eye in a position at which the tips of the inverted image and
the object needle are seen simultaneously.
16. Adjust the height of the needle so that the two tips are seen in one line
with right open eye.
17. Move the eye towards right. The tips will get separated. The tips have
parallax.
18. Move the convex mirror back and forth till tip to tip parallax is removed.
19. Note the position of the index mark on the base of the convex mirror
upright.
To set the image needle
20. Remove the convex mirror, keeping upright in its position.
21. With left eye closed, see with the right open eye from the other end of
the optical bench. An inverted and enlarged image of the object needle will
be seen. Tip of the image must lie in the middle of the lens.
22. Mount the thick optical needle (image needle) in the fourth upright near
the other end of the optical bench.
23. Adjust the height of the image needle so that its tip is seen in line with
the tip of the image when seen with right open eye.
24. Move the eye towards right. The tips will get separated. The image tip
and the image needle tip have parallax.
25. Remove the parallax tip to tip.
26. Note the position of the index mark on base of the image needle
upright.
27.
Observations
PLEASE NOTE: OBSERVATIONS NOT TO BE COPIED. ENTER YOUR OWN
OBSERVATIONS
Result
The focal length of the given convex mirror = …….. cm.
Precautions
1. Principal axis of the lens should be horizontal and parallel to the
central line of the optical bench.
2. All the uprights should be vertical.
3. The tip of the needle, centre of the mirror and centre of the lens should
be at the same height.
4. While removing the parallax, the eye should be kept at a minimum
distance of 30 cm from the needle.
5. Tip to tip parallax should be removed.
6. Index correction should be applied between the image needle I and
back surface of the convex mirror.
7. The convex mirror should be placed close to the convex lens.
8. For one set of observation, when the parallax has been removed for
convex lens alone, the’ positions of the lens and needle O uprights should
not be changed.
Sources of error
1. The uprights may not be the vertical.
2. Parallax removal may not be perfect.
3. Focal length of lens may not be small.
