PHYSICS INVESTIGATORY

PROJECT

TOPIC: Dependence of angle

of deviation on angle of
incidence

DONE BY: UPPUTURI PRANAV TEJA

 CERTIFICATION
NAME: UPPUTURI PRANAV TEJA
CLASS: 12-SCIENCE
BOARD ROLL NUMBER:
SCHOOL: SHREE NEELKANTH VIDYAPEETH
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

This is certified to be the bonafide work of the student

work of the student completing the required chemistry
project in PHYSICS laboratory of school during the
Academic Year ,2024-2025

PHYSICS FACULTY:_________________

PRINCIPAL’S SIGNATURE:__________________

EXAMINER’S SIGNATURE:__________________
 CONTENTS

S.no Content
1. Certificate
2. Acknowledgement
3. Introduction
4. Experiment
5. Bibliography

Aim: To investigate dependence of angle of

deviation on angle of incidence using a
hollow prism filled one by one with different
transparent fluids.
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
colloquial 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 colours (the colours 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
colourless, and that the prism itself produced the colour.
Newton's experiments demonstrated that all the colours
already existed in the light in a heterogeneous fashion, and
that corpuscles" (particles) of light were fanned out
because particles with different colours 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 colour is the
visible manifestation of light's wavelength. Newton arrived
at his conclusion by passing the red colour from one prism
through second prism and found the colour unchanged.
-From this, he concluded that the colours must already be
present in the incoming light and white light consists of a
collection of colours. As the white light passes through the
triangular prism, the light separates into the collection of
colours: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.
This collection of colours formed by the prism is called the
spectrum.
The separation of white light into its spectrum is known as
dispersion.
-Dispersion occurs because each colour 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
AIM: To investigate the dependence, of the angle of
deviation on the angle of incidence, using a hallow
prism filled, one by one, with different transparent
fluids

APPARATUS: Drawing board,white sheets of paper,

hollow prism, different liquids(water, kerosene oil, etc),
drawing pins, pencil , half meter scale, thump pins,
graph papers and a protractor.

THEORY:
Refraction 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.

DIAGRAM: Refraction through a prism

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 triangle, QFS,
KFS = FQS +FSQ
D=(i-r1)+(e-r2)

D=i+e-(r1+r2)...(1)

In triangle, QS1N3
r1 +r2 + QN3S = 180° ...(2)

The quadrilateral AQNaS is cyclic quadrilateral, then

A + QN3S=180..3)

From (2) and (3)

A=r1+r2..(4)
Eq. (1) become, D=i+e-A D+A=i+e..(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.

Sincei=e, we have r1 = r2. ( n=sin i/sin r1 =sin e/sin 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 and i =e
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]/ sinA/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 409,45°,50° and 55° respectively with
the normals.
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 about 2cm.
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=45°,50° and 55°
15. Straight lines through points P4 and P3 were drawn to
obtain emergent rays S1T1, $2T2, S3T3 and S4T4.
16. T1S1,T2$2 ,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=60°
S.no Angle of Angle of Angle of Angle of
incidence deviation deviation deviation
for water for for
kerosene turpentine
oil oil
1. 40 23 36 32
2. 45 24 33 33
3. 50 25 34 34
4. 55 26 35 35
RESULTS

● The angle of minimum deviation for

Water Dm = 23°C
Kerosene oil Dm = 33°C
Turpentine oil Dm = 32°C
● The refractive indices of the
Water n = 1.32
Kerosene oil n = 1.46
Turpentine oiln=1.44
● Speed of light in
Water v = 2.3x108 m/s
Kerosene oil v = 2.05x108 m/s
Turpentine oil v = 2.08x108 m/s
PRECAUTIONS
i. the angle of incidence should lie between 35° - 60°.
ii. T he pins should be fixed vertical.
iii. The distance between the two pins should not be less
than 10mm.
iv. Arrow heads should be marked to represent the incident
and emergent rays.
v. T he same angle of prism should be used for all the
observations.

SOURCES OF ERRORS
i. Pin pricks may be thick.
ii.Measurement of angles may be wrong.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Comprehensive: Practical Physics Class
XII
- NCERT textbook of class XII
- CLASS notes