AISSCE

“2024-25”
PHYSICS
INVESTIGATORY
PROJECT
TOPIC: TO INVESTIGATE THE
DEPENDENCE OF THE ANGLE OF
DEVIATION ON THE ANGLE OF
INCIDENCE USING A HOLLOW PRISM
FILLED ONE BY ONE WITH DIFFERENT
TRANSPARENT FLUIDS.
SUBMITTED BY: BARNAVA DEY
CLASS: XII
ROLL NO.:
SUBMITTED TO:
REGISTRATION NO.:

INDEX
 Acknowledgement
 Introduction
 Aim
 Apparatus Required
 Theory
 Procedure
 Observation
 Result
 Precaution
 Sources of error
 Bibliography
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS MY SPECIAL THANKS
OF GRATITUDE TO MY TEACHER (SUKHENDU SIR
AND PALLAB SIR) AS WELL AS OUR PRINCIPAL
(MR. BIPIN BIHARI SINGH) WHO GAVE ME THE
GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS WONDERFUL
PROJECT ON THE TOPIC (TO INVESTIGATE THE
DEPENDENCE OF THE ANGLE OF DEVIATION ON
THE ANGLE OF INCIDENCE USING A HOLLOW
PRISM FILLED ONE BY ONE WITH DIFFERENT
TRANSPARENT FLUIDS) WHICH ALSO HELPED ME
IN DOING A LOT OF RESEARCH AND I CAME TO
KNOW ABOUT SO MANY NEW THINGS. I AM
REALLY THANKFUL TO THEM.
SECONDLY I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK MY
PARENTS AND FRIENDS WHO HELPED ME A LOT
 IN FINALIZING THIS PROJECT WITHIN THE
LIMITED TIME FRAME.

INTRODUCTION
In optics, a prism is a transparent
optical element with flat, polished
surfaces that refracts light. The exact
angles between the surfaces depend on
the application. The traditional
geometrical shape is that of a triangular
prism with a triangular base and
rectangular sides, and in daily use
“prism” usually refers to this type. Some
types of optical prism are not in fact in
the shape of geometric prisms. Prisms
can be made from any material that is
transparent to the wavelengths for
which they are designed. Typical
materials include glass, plastic and
fluorite. Prism can be used to break light
up into its constituent spectral colors
(the colors of the rainbow). Prisms can
also be used to reflect light, or to split
light into components with different
polarizations.
Before Isaac Newton, it was believed
that white light was colorless, and that
the prism itself produced the color.
Newton’s experiments demonstrated
that all the colors already existed in the
light in a heterogeneous fashion, and
that “corpuscles” (particles) of light
were fanned out because particles with
different colors travelled with different
speeds through the prism. It was only
later that Young and Fresnel combined
Newton’s particle theory with Huygens’
wave theory to show that color is the
visible manifestation of light’s
wavelength. Newton arrived at his
conclusion by passing the red color from
one prism through second prism and
found the color unchanged. From this,
he concluded that the colors must
already be present in the incoming light
and white light consists of a collection of
colors. As the white light passes through
the triangular prism, the light separates
into the collection of colors: red, orange,
yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.
This collection of colors formed by the
prism is called the spectrum. The
separation of white light into its
spectrum is known as dispersion.
Dispersion occurs because each color
travels through the prism at different
speeds. Violet travels the slowest
through the prism; hence we can see it
refracting the most. On the other hand,
red passes through at a much fast rate
which makes its angle of refraction less,
hence red is too scarce to be seen.
EXPERIMENT TO PROVE THE
DEPENDENCE OF ANGLE OF
DEVIATION ON ANGLE OF
INCIDENCE
AIM: To investigate the dependence of
the angle of deviation on the angle of
incidence using a hollow prism filled
with different transparent fluids.
APPARATUS REQUIRED:
Drawing board, white sheets of paper
prism drawing pins, pencil, half meter
scale, thump pins, graph papers and a
protractor.
THEORY:
Refraction of Light through a Prism –
Diagram shows section ABC of a prism
taken by a vertical plane, perpendicular
to the edge. BC is the base of the prism
and AB and AC are its two refracting
surfaces.
RQ is the incident ray.
QS is the refracted ray.
ST is the emergent ray.
RQN1 = i = angle of incidence
SQN3 = r1 = angle of refraction inside
prism
QSN3 = r2 = angle of incidence inside
prism
TSN2 = e = angle of emergence
BAC = A = angle of prism
SFK = D = angle of deviation
In QFS, KFS =FQS +FSQ
D = (i – r1) + (e – r2)
D= i+e-(r1-r2)…(1)
In QS1N3 , r1 +r2 + QN3S = 180⁰… (2)
The quadrilateral AQN3S is cyclic
quadrilateral, then
A +QN3S = 180 … (3)
From (2) and (3)
A= r1 + r2 …(4)
Eq. (1) becomes
D = i + e - A … (5)
Angle of Minimum Deviation -
Definition: The minimum value of angle
of deviation is called angle of minimum
deviation. It is represented by the
symbol Dm.
Explanation: For same angle of
deviation (D) there are two values of
angle of incidence. One value equals ‘i’
and other value equals ‘e’. As angle ‘i’ is
increased from a small value, ‘e’
decreases from large value and angle of
deviation decreases.
When angle of deviation is
minimum(Dm), then, ‘i’ and ‘e’ becomes
equal.
The refracted ray QS goes parallel to
base BC. Since i = e, we have r1 = r2.
Hence, at minimum deviation, when
r1=r2=r(say).
We have A= r1+r2= r + r = 2r
⇒ r = A/2
 Also, at minimum deviation, D = Dm e
and i=
From relation,
A+D=i+e
We have,
A + Dm = i + i = 2i
⇒ i = (A + Dm)/2
From Snell’s law,
n = sin i/sin r
We have n = (sin A + Dm/2)/(sin A/2)
This relation is useful for determination
of
n for Prism material.
PROCEDURE:
1. A white sheet of paper was fixed on
the drawing board with the help of
drawing pins.
2. A straight line XX’ parallel to the
length of the paper was drawn nearly in
the middle of the paper.
3. Points Q1 , Q2 ,Q3 and Q4 were marked
on the straight line XX’ at suitable
distances of about 6cm.
4. Normal’s N1Q1 , N2Q2 , N3Q3 and N4Q4
were drawn on points Q1 , Q2 , Q3 and Q4.
5. Straight lines R1Q1 , R2Q2 , R3Q3 and
R4Q4
were drawn making angles of 40⁰, 45⁰,
50⁰, 55⁰ respectively with the normal .
6. One corner of the prism was marked
as A and it was taken as the edge of the
prism for all the observations.
7. Prism with its refracting face AB was
put in the line XX’ and point Q1 was put
in the middle of AB.
8. The boundary of the prism was
marked.
9. Two pins P1 and P2 were fixed
vertically on the line R1Q1 and the
distance between the pins were
about2cm.
10. The images of points P1 and P2 were
looked through face AC.
11. Left eye was closed and right eye
was opened and was brought in line
with the two images.
12. Two pins P3 and P4 were fixed
vertically at about 2cm apart such that
the open right eye sees pins P4 and P3 as
images of P2 and P1 in one straight line.
13. Pins P1 , P2 , P3 and P4 were removed
and their pricks on the paper were
encircled.
14. Steps 7 to 13 were again repeated
with points Q2 , Q3 and Q4 for i=45⁰,50⁰
and 55⁰.
15. Straight lines through points P4 and
P3 were drawn to obtain emergent rays
S1T1 , S2T2, S3T30 and S4T4
.16 . T1S1 ,T2S2 ,T3S3 and T4S4 were
produced inward in the boundary of the
prism to meet produced incident rays
R1Q1 , R2Q2 ,R3Q3 and R4Q4 at points F1 , F2
,F3 and F4.
17. Angles K1F1S1 , K2F2S2 , K3F3S3 and
K4F4S4 were measured. These angles
give angle of deviation D1 , D2 , D3 and
D4.
18. Values of these angles were written
on the paper.
19. Angle BAC was measured in the
boundary of the prism. This gives angle
A.
20. Observations were recorded.
OBSERVATIONS:
Angle of hollow prism A = 60⁰
S Angle Angle of Angle of Angle of
No of deviatio deviatio deviation
. inciden n for n for for
ce water kerosen turpentin
e oil e oil
1 40⁰ 23⁰ 36⁰ 32⁰
2 45⁰ 24⁰ 33⁰ 33⁰
3 50⁰ 25⁰ 34⁰ 34⁰
4 55⁰ 26⁰ 35⁰ 35⁰

RESULT:
The angle of minimum deviation for –
Water Dm = 23⁰C
Kerosene oil Dm = 33⁰C
Turpentine oil Dm = 32⁰C

The refractive indices of the –

Water n = 1.32
Kerosene oil n = 1.46
Turpentine oil n = 1.44
Speed of light in –
Water v = 2.3 x 108 m/s
Kerosene oil v = 2.05 x 108 m/s
Turpentine oil v = 2.08 x 108 m/s

PRECAUTIONS:
1. The angle of incidence should lie
between 35⁰ – 60⁰.
2. The pins should be fixed vertical.
3. The distance between the two
pins should not be less than 10mm .
4. Arrows heads should be marked
to represent the incident and
emergent rays.
5. The same angle of prism should
be used for all the observations.

SOURCES OF ERROR:
 Pins pricks may be thick.
 Measurement of angles may be
wrong.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Comprehensive: Practical
Physics Class XII
2. NCERT textbook of class XII