Refractive-Index

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Classroom

In this section of Resonance, we invite readers to pose questions likely to be raised in a


classroom situation. We may suggest strategies for dealing with them, or invite responses,
or both. “Classroom” is equally a forum for raising broader issues and sharing personal
experiences and viewpoints on matters related to teaching and learning science.

Joseph Amal Nathan


Reactor Physics Design Division
A Single Measurement Method to Find Refractive Index∗ Bhabha Atomic Research Center,
Mumbai 400 085, India
Email:
[email protected]

The article discusses a simple method to find the angle of min-


imum deviation of a general prism, not necessarily equilat-
eral or isosceles. The method uses a single measurement and
requires a compass, ruler, some pins, and no additional ma-
terial. It is precise and accurate. We present the method first
and then the justification.

Introduction

Among the various methods to find the refractive index of a trans-


parent material, the minimum deviation method is a simple and
preferred one. Also, finding the angle of minimum deviation is a
very popular high school experiment. In the existing method, for
a prism with a known apex angle, the angle of deviation for var- Keywords
ious angles of incidence are measured and plotted on a graph to Prism, refraction, deviation,
incidence, angle of minimum
find the minimum. Here we point out how this method can intro-
deviation.
duce inaccuracy and also suggest a simpler method that requires
only one single measurement, increasing precision and accuracy.


Vol.25, No.4, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12045-020-0972-4

RESONANCE | April 2020 579


CLASSROOM

Figure 1. Minimum devia-


tion.

Method

Refer to Figure 1. Let ABC be a prism with apex angle a at vertex


A and refractive index μ. Trace the outline of the prism ‘ABC’
on a sheet of paper. Remove the prism and take a measure of
length less than the smaller of the sides AC and AB in a compass.
With this length and A as the center, draw arcs cutting AB and
AC at S and T respectively. So AS = AT . Draw a line FG
passing through S and T . Again using the compass with S and T
as centers draw arcs cutting FG at U and V respectively so that
S U = T V and the points U and V are nearer to the prism. Mount
pins vertically at U and V. Place the prism back coinciding with
the outline of ABC. By changing the angle of view through the
side AC, align the pin-V with the image of pin-U seen through the
side AC. For this same angle of view through side, AC, mount a
third pin behind (or in front of) pin-U such that all the three pins,
i.e., the pin-V the image of pin-U and the image of the third pin,
are aligned. Mark the position of the third pin as W. Remove the
prism and draw a line passing through U and W intersecting the
triangle at D. Draw a perpendicular at D to the line AB, which
will also be the normal at D. Measure the angle of incidence, we
assure that this will yield the incident angle im corresponding to
the angle of minimum deviation δm . Then δm = 2im − a and the

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Figure 2. Angular devia-


tion.

refractive index is given by μ = sin([δm + a]/2)/ sin(a/2).


To confirm that this method gives δm , keep back the prism and
viewing through side AB place a fourth pin behind (or in front of)
pin-V so that the image of the fourth pin is aligned with pin-W,
pin-U, and the image of pin-V. Mark the position of this fourth
pin as X. Draw a line passing through V and X intersecting AC at
E. Measure the angle of refraction r at E to find it equal to im , the
condition for minimum deviation. Now let us understand how the
above method gives the angle of minimum deviation.

Relation between the incident angle i and the angle of devia-


tion dl

Refer to Figure 2. A ray of light with incident angle i to the


normal at P is refracted with an angle θ1 inside the prism. After
refraction, it makes an incident angle θ2 to the normal at Q and is
again refracted with an angle of emergence r out of the prism. The
extension of the incident ray and the emergent ray intersect inside
the prism at I. Since in IPQ, δ = ∠IPQ + ∠IQP = i − θ1 + r − θ2
and in APQ, a+∠APQ+∠AQP = 180◦ with ∠APQ+θ1 = 90◦ =
∠AQP + θ2 , we get

a = θ1 + θ2 and δ = i + r − a. (1)

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Figure 3. Deviation (δ) vs.


Incident (i).

At the points of refraction P and Q, we have

sin i = μ sin θ1 and sin r = μ sin θ2 . (2)

Substituting for sin θ2 from (1) in the above equation sin r =


sin a μ cos θ1 − cos a μ sin θ1 . Using this relation in (1) gives:
  
δ = i − a + sin−1 sin a μ2 − sin2 i − cos a sin i .

The usual misconception The usual misconception is that the relation between i and δ is
is that the relation quadratic. But from the above equation, we can see that it is
between i and δ is not quadratic. For example, plotting δ Vs i for a = 70◦ , μ =
quadratic.
1.45 (refer to Figure 3) clearly shows the highly non-linear nature
of the relation. So despite δm being unique for a given prism,
when found graphically by plotting the values of i and δ from an
experiment, there is a possibility that at different times one may
find a variation. The reason is, had the relation between δ and i
been quadratic, a minimum of three points would be sufficient to
uniquely define the curve and hence the point of minimum. But
due to the highly non-linear nature of the relation, trying to locate

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the minimum of the curve with few experimental points is the Despite δm being unique
reason for the variation. Further, the probability to experimentally for a given prism, when
observe the point of minimum deviation is very low since this found graphically by
plotting the values of i
can happen only if by chance, while varying, i takes the value and δ from an
corresponding to δm . So to locate δm with more accuracy, several experiment, there is a
experimental points around and nearer to the point of minimum possibility that at
different times one may
is required, that too in very small steps. But the best would be
find a variation.
to devise a technique to make the minimum an experimentally
observable point. To do that we first require to understand what
happens at the minimum.

Condition for the Angle of Minimum Deviation δ m

Most books on optics discuss the minimum deviation in a prism,


but few give all the details like in Eugene Hecht’s book [1]. We
present the derivation here to make this note complete and also
one need not then look for a reference. Using dδ/di = 0, the
condition for minimum, in (1) gives:

dr/di = −1 and dθ1 /di = −dθ2 /di.


From (2) we get:
cos i = μ cos θ1 (dθ1 /di) and cos r(dr/di) = μ cos θ2 (dθ2 /di).
Taking the ratio of the above equations and squaring gives:

cos2 i cos2 θ2 = cos2 r cos2 θ1 . (3)

Squaring (2) we get:


μ2 cos2 θ1 = μ2 − 1 + cos2 i and μ2 cos2 θ2 = μ2 − 1 + cos2 r.
Substituting these in (3) and simplifying gives:

cos2 i(μ2 − 1) + cos2 i cos2 r = cos2 r(μ2 − 1)


+ cos2 r cos2 i ⇒ cos2 i = cos2 r.

Since i can vary only from 0◦ to 90◦ and similarly for r, we get:

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i = r ⇒ θ1 = θ2
as the condition for the minimum. This condition can also be
easily achieved by doing ray tracing if we have the knowledge
that there is only one minimum. Since it is observed from the
graph in Figure 3 that there is only one minimum, if i  r then
there will be two angle of incidences for which δ is minimum,
a contradiction so i = r. Let im be the incident angle for δm .
Since θ1 = θ2 from eq(1), θ1 = a/2 = θ2 and im = (δm + a)/2.
Substituting in (2) gives
 a
δm = 2 sin−1 μ sin − a,
2
which is a constant for a given prism. So when i = im we see the
refracted ray inside the prism forms an isosceles triangle with the
vertex A and emerges with r = im . It is this property we have used,
to devise this technique to experimentally observe the minimum.

Explanation for the Method to Find δ m

Refer to Figure 1. Only a ray parallel to FG, say ray DE will


emerge with the same angle of refraction at D and at E out of the
prism so that S U = T V.

Acknowledgment

I thank Prof. Vijay A Singh for encouraging me to publish this


note and for his valuable suggestions. Thanks to Prof. Vinayak
Katdare for his critical comments.

Suggested Reading
[1] Eugene Hecht, Optics, Pearson Global Edition, pp.99–201, 2017.

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