MEL AYANAMBAKKAM

INVESTIGATORY
PROJECT REPORT

In partial fulfilment of AISSCE 2022-2023

physics project

A PROJECT REPORT ON

To find the refractive index of water,

oil using a plane mirror and an
equiconvex lens and an adjustable
object needle.

MADE BY
KG.THARINISH
CLASS XII
 VELAMMAL VIDYALAYA
MELAYANAMBAKKAM

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that KG.Tharinish a student of

class XII has successfully completed the
research on the below mentioned project under
the guidance of Mrs.Thamarai selvi during the
year 2022-2023 in partial fulfillment of physics
practical conducted by AISSCE as per CBSE

PHYSICS TEACHER EXTERNAL

EXAMINER
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to

my physics teacher Mrs.Thamarai, as well as our senior
principal, Ms.Shyamala Subbu and Vice principal
Ms.Madhuranthaki for providing me with the
opportunity to work on this beautiful project.
Secondly, I would also like to thank my parents and
friends who helped me to finish this project within the
limited time frame.
Finally, I would like to thank everyone without whose
help I could not have completed my project
successfully.
 INDEX
 Introduction
 Objective
 Materials Required
 Theory
 Procedure
 Observation
 Calculation
 Results
 Precautions
 Sources of error

Introduction
In optics, the refractive index (a.k.a. refraction index) of an
optical medium is a dimensionless number that indicates
the light-bending ability of that medium.

The refractive index determines

how much the path of light is bent,
or refracted when entering a
material. This is described by Snell's
law of refraction, n1 sin θ1 = n2 sin
θ2, where θ1 and θ2 are the angles
of incidence and refraction, respectively, of a ray crossing the
interface between two media with refractive indices n1 and
n2.
 Objective
To find the refractive index of water, oil using a plane mirror
and an equiconvex lens and an adjustable object needle.

Materials Required
 Convex lens
 Plane mirror
 Water
 Oil
 Clamp stand
 An Optical needle
 Plumb line
 Knitting needle
 Half meter scale
 Glass slab
 Spherometer

Theory
If f1 and f2 be the focal length of glass convex lens and
liquid lens and F be the focal length of their combination
then,
 Liquid lens formed is a planoconcave lens with R1= R
(radius of curvature of convex lens surface), R2 =∞

Where n=Refractive index of the liquid

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

The radius of the lower surface of the convex lens is given by:

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.
 Fig: Focal length of glass convex les and liquid lens
combination

Procedure

For focal length of convex lens

1. Take any one convex lens and find its rough focal length.
2. Take a plane mirror and place it on the horizontal base
of the iron stand.
3. Place the convex lens on the plane mirror.
4. Screw tight the optical needle in the clamp of the stand
and hold it horizontally above the lens at distance equal
to its rough focal length.
5. Bring the tip of the needle at the vertical principal axis of
the lens, so that tip of the needle appears touching the
tip of its image.
6. Move the needle up and down and remove
parallax between tips of the needle and its image.
7. Measure distance between tip and upper surface of
the lens by using a plumb line and half metre scale.
8. Also measure distance between tip and the surface of
its plane mirror.

For focal length of the combination

1. Take a few drops of transparent liquid on the plane
mirror and put the convex lens over it with its same
face above as before (A piano concave liquid lens is
formed between plane mirror and convex lens).
2. Repeat steps 6, 7 and 8.
3. Record your observations as given below.

For radius of curvature of convex lens surface:

1. Determine the pitch and the least count of
the spherometer.
2. Remove the convex lens and dry incompletely. Put
the spherometer on this lens surface.
3. 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.
 4. Remove the spherometer from the surface of the
lens and place on the plane mirror surface and record
the reading.
5. Repeat the steps 10 and 11 three times.
6. Obtain the impressions of the three legs of the
spherometer on a paper and mark them and
their average distance.

Observation

Pitch of the spherometer = 1 cm

Least count of the spherometer = 0.01 cm
Distance between the legs:
(1) AB = 3 cm
(2) BC = 3 cm
(3) CA = 3 cm
 Table for calculation of’h’

S.No Initial reading No. of Final Additional h--n x Mean

a/the €.S. oncomplete reading €.Sdiv. pit¢h ”h”
the convex rotations of moved +mx
lens the c.s on l. €
(a) (n) the gl05S
slob
0 6.5

64 0 4 60 0.6

To measure focal length ’f’of convex lens

Distance of needle tip from

Area S.No Tip of the upper Upper Mean Focal
between lens surfaCe of the surface of - ”*+ ”2 Length
and plane convex lens(cm) the plane ' (cm)
mirror X mirror(cm)
X
Without 1 30.5 31 30.75 1—"
liquid 33.85
2 36.7 37.2 36.95

W’/th voter 1 31.4 31.8 31.6 2—“34.7

2 37.5 37.8
 Calculation

Mean distance between two legs

Mean of h
= (0.555+0.6)/2 =0.5775 cm

To find the radius of the curvature of the convex lens:

R = l2 /6h + h/2 = 2.8861 cm

Measurement of refractive index of water and oil

1) with water between the convex lens and the

plane mirror:
 2) With oil between the convex lens and plane mirror

Results

The refractive index of water is µ1 = 1.0831 The

refractive index of oil is µ2 = 1.2886

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 30 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.
 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 convexlens.

4. The tip of the central screw should not just touch

the surface of lens or mirror.