Experiment 7 Reflection and Refraction

Experiment 7

 

in this experiment we will begin to study optics first by beginning with reflection and refraction. In this experiment we should be able to understand Snells law and the variables that govern such equation.

Answers to questions pre starting lab.

 

a)      The angle will be 0

b)      The angle of refraction will also be 0

c)      As the light leaves the plastic, this light will diffuse in air due to the fact that the curve surface will cause the light to bend since it is not flat.

d)     The experiment will be a situation in which the light travels from an material of higher density to a material of lower density.

 

Answer to question #2

 

The light ray does behave as predicted when the angle is 0

 

here is the first measurements

liight hiting the acrylic straight edge first
incidence angle(θ1)	refraction angle(θ2)	sin (θ1)	(θ2)
10	7	0.1736	0.121
15	12	0.258	0.2
20	14	0.342	0.241
30	20	0.5	0.342
35	23	0.573	0.39
40	25	0.64	0.422
45	30	0.7	0.5
50	32	0.766	0.529
60	36	0.866	0.587
70	41	0.939	0.656

here is the graph of the sin(theta1)/sin(theta2) values with its proper linear function

Answers to questions 6,7,
answer to #6.
The slope represents the index of refraction of the air over the index of the acrilyc.

answer to #7

  Answers to questions pre starting part 2

a) The angle will be 0

b) The angle of refraction will also be 0

c) As the light leaves the plastic, this light will diffuse in air due to the fact that the curve surface will cause the light to bend since it is not flat.

d) The experiment will be a situation in which the light travels from an material of lower density to a material of higher density.

 

here is the second measurments

 

light hitting the acrylic with the circular edge first
incidence angle(θ1)	refraction angle(θ2)	sin (θ1)	(θ2)
0	0	0	0
5	7	0.087	0.121
10	15	0.173	0.258
15	24	0.258	0.406
20	35	0.34	0.57
30	53	0.5	0.79
40	75	0.64	0.96
44	90	0.69	1

 here is the graph of   sin(theta1)/sin(theta2) the values  and the linear equation of the slope

Answers to questions  6,7,
 answer to #6. 
the slope represents the index of refraction of the acrylic over the index of air

answer to #7                                  
                                  here is a brief explanation of how to come about to snells law.

 

Answers to questions 10,11,12.

10) 

For the second part we were not able to complete the 10 trials due to the fact that as we encounter the 45 degree angle the diffracted light disappeared This angle is called the critical angle.

11)
The slope of this second graph is 1.45 which is the ratio of the reflecting index of the acrylic over air

12)
Here is the equation

y = 1.4754x + 0.0199

 

In conclusion we found out how the ray of a light wave behaves when there is a change in media (medium). This light ray refracts when entering a different density medium.this refraction continues as the angle of incidence in creases. there is an angle when the angle of refraction will be just reflected and this angle is called the critical angle Also with our graphs we were able to obtain the index of refraction of the acrilyc and this helped us in understanding  Snells law.