Divya Jyot School, Ahmedabad

2025-2026

To find refractive indices

of water and turpentine
oil

Submitted by:​ Submitted to:

Vrishti Choksi Ms. Ruchi Raghuvanshi

 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the project report

entitled “ to find refractive indices of
water and oil ” submitted by Vrishti
Choksi during the academic year 2025 –
2026 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. Her 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 me

with the opportunity and 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 PLANE MIRROR,
EQUI-CONVEX LENS (MADE OF GLASS OF KNOWN
REFRACTIVE INDEX) AND AN ADJUSTABLE OBJECT
NEEDLE.
 Apparatus:
-​ convex lens
-​ optical needle
-​ plane mirror
-​ clamp stand
-​ spherometer
-​ plumb line
-​ metre scale
-​ water
-​ turpentine oil.
 Theory:
1.​ If f1 and f2 be the focal length of the glass convex lens and liquid
lens and f be the focal length of their combination then:-

2. Liquid lens formed a Plano-concave Lens with R1=R and R2=∞ then
by using lens make’s formula
 where n = refractive index of liquid ,
R = radius of curvature of convex lens

3. 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.
 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.
 DIAGRAM

spherometer
Fig: (a) to find focal length of convex lens

(b) for the length of legs AB, BC, CA

of the
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.N Initial No.​ of Final Addition h=n Mean

o reading complet reading al​ C.S x “h”
of the C.S. e of​ the div. pitch
on the rotation c.s​ on moved +​ m
convex s the x
lens glass L.C

(a) (n) slab

1 62 0 6.5 55.5 0.55 0.577
5 5
2 64 0 4 60 0.6
To measure focal length f‘ of convex lens

Distance of needle tip

from
Area S.N Tip of the upper Upper Mean Focal
between surface of the surface lengt
o x=
lens and convex lens of the h
x1 +
plane X1 plane x2
mirror mirror 2

X2
Without 1 30.5 31 30.75 f1=
liquid 2 36.7 37.2 36.95 33.8
5
With 1 31.4 31.8 31.6 f2=3
water 2 37.5 38.1 37.8 4.7
With oil 1 9.4 9.6 9.5 f3=1
2 10.4 10,6 10.5 0
 CALCULATIONS
Mean distance between two legs

l = AB + BC +CA =3
3

Mean h = 0.7557 cm

To find the radius of curvature of the convex lens:

l2 h
R= 6 h + = 2.27366 cm

Measurement of refractive indices of water and turpentine

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

R 2.27366
μ =1+ =1+ =1.06552

34.7
 2)​ With turpentine oil between the convex lens and the
plane
mirror

R 2.27366
μ =1+ =1+ =1.22736
2
​ 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.

Source 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