2018-2019

Project Report on “To find refractive

indices of water and turpentine oil

Submitted by : Submitted to :
Harsh Rana Mrs. Pinki Janin
Class: XII (Science)
Roll no. 2692357
 CERTIFICATE
This to certify that the project report entitled
“to find refractive indices of water and
turpentine oil” submitted by Harsh Rana
during the academic year 2018 – 2019 is a
bonafied piece of work conducted under my
supervision and guidance. The data sources
have been fully acknowledged. I wish his
success in all his future endeavours.
 Acknowledgement

I thank my physics laboratory teacher guiding

me in doing this project. His constant support and
encouragement helped me a lot in completing this
project.
. I also thank the lab assistant and all other
non-teaching staff members for arranging the
apparatus as and when required.
I also thank my school for providing such
wonderful laboratory facilities.
 Index
SR. NO. CONTENTS PAGE NO.
1 OBJECTIVE 1

2 APPARATUS 2

3 THEORY 2

4 PROCEDURE 3

5 OBSERVATION 6

6 CALCULATION 7

7 RESULT 8

8 PRECAUTION 8

9 SOURCES OF ERROR 9

10 BIBLIOGRAPHY 10
 Objective
TO FIND REFRACTIVE INDICES OF WATER AND
TURPENTINE OIL USING A PALNE MIRROR, AN
EQUICONVEX LENS(MADE OF GLASS OF KNOWN
REFRACTIVE INDEX) AND AN ADJUSTABLE OBJECT
NEEDLE
 Apparatus:
A convex lens, an optical needle, a plane mirror, a clamp stand, a
spherometer, a plumb line, metre scale, water and turpentine oil.
 Theory:
Let’s add small amount of water on a flat, plane surface and place a
convex lens over it. This forms a plano-concave lens of water
between the lower surface of convex lens and plane mirror.
Let f1 and f2 are the focal lengths of water lens and convex lens
respectively, then focal length of the combination is:
1 1 1
= +
F f1 f2
1 1 1
The focal length of the plano-concave lens is, = − …(i)
f1 F f2

1 1 1
From Lens Maker’s formula, = (μ − 1) ( − )
f1 R1 R2

1
=(μ − 1)
R

∴ R1 = R and R2 = ∞ for water lens.

R
∴ The refractive index of water is , μ = 1 + …(ii)
f1

(where ‘R’ is the radius of curvature of the concave surfaces of the

plano-concave lens).
l2 h
The Radius of curvature of the lens, is R = + …(iii)
6h 2
 Procedure:
I. For finding the focal length of convex lens:

(i) Measure the rough focal length of the convex lens.

(ii) Place the plane mirror with the convex lens placed on it
above the horizontal base of a clamp stand horizontally
as its tip lies vertically above the optical centre of the
lens. Adjust the needle at a height a little more than the
rough focal length of the convex lens.

(iii) Try to remove the parallax between the tip of the object
needle and its image tip.

(iv) Note the distance of the tip of the needle from the centre
of the upper surface of the lens. Let it be x1. (Use plumb
line).

(v) Remove the convex lens and measure the distance of the
tip of the needle from the plane mirror. Let it be x2. (Use
plumb line).

(vi) Repeat and record all the observations.

II. For finding the focal length of the plano-concave lens:

 Pour few drops of water over the plane mirror and place the
convex lens over it. Repeat steps (ii) to (iv) as done above.
Repeat the procedure with turpentine oil also.
III. For finding ‘l’:

Determine the pitch and least count of scale of the

spherometer. Place the spherometer on the dried surface of
the convex lens. Turn the screw downwards very gently till
the tip of the screw just touches the lens. Read and record the
reading.

Keep the spherometer’s legs on the base of a paper and

adjusting the central screw, find the pricks A, B and C of the
three legs of the spherometer. Join the centres of the three
pricks and measure the lengths with the half-metre scale.
Note the values of AB, BC and AC.
 Fig: (a) to find focal length of convex lens
(b) for the length of legs AB, BC, CA of
the spherometer

Fig: to find focal length of the plano concave lens

 Observations
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 No. of Final Additional h=n Mean

reading of complete reading C.S div. x “h”
the C.S. on rotations of the c.s moved pitch
the convex on the + m
lens (n) glass slab x
(a) L.C
1 62 0 6.5 55.5 0.555 0.5775
2 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 surface of the surface of x1 + x2 length
x=
2
lens and convex lens the plane
plane mirror X1 mirror
X2
Without 1 30.5 31 30.75 f1=
liquid 2 36.7 37.2 36.95 33.85
With water 1 31.4 31.8 31.6 f2=34.7
2 37.5 38.1 37.8
With oil 1 9.4 9.6 9.5 f3=10
2 10.4 10,6 10.5
 CALCULATIONS
Mean distance between two legs
AB+BC+CA
l= =3 cm
3

Mean h = 0.7557 cm
To find the radius of curvature of the convex lens:
l2 h
R= + = 2.27366 cm
6h 2

Measurement of refractive indices of water and turpentine oil

1) With water between the convex lens and the plane mirror:

R 2.27366
μ1 = 1 + = 1+ = 1.06552
f2 34.7

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

R 2.27366
μ2 = 1 + = 1+ = 1.22736
f3 10
 Result
The refractive index of water is µ1 = 1.06552
The refractive index of turpentine oil is µ2 = 1.22736
 Precautions
(i) The screw of the spherometer should be moved in one
direction only to avoid backlash error.

(ii) The screw should be moved just to touch the surface of the
convex lens or the glass slab.

(iii) The parallax should be removed properly.

(iv) The lens and the plane mirror should be properly cleaned.

(v) The convex lens of large focal length should be used.

(vi) The spherometer reading should be taken first on the surface

of the convex lens and then on the glass slab.
 Sources of error:
(i) The distances x1 and x2 may not be measured correctly.

(ii) The value of h and l may not be correct.

(iii) Parallax may not be removed properly.

(iv) Backlash error may be acting on the spherometer.

 BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. WEBSITES :

 www.wikipedia.org
 www.google.com
 www.yahoo.com

2. BOOKS :

Comprehensive Practical Manual for class XII