PASCO WA-9316A Complete Microwave Optics System - Manual (Page 16)

Experiment Guide Experiment 4: Refraction Through a Prism
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4. Using the diagram shown in Figure 4.3, determine 
1
and use
your value of  to determine 
2
. (You will need to use a protractor
to measure the Prism angles.)
• 
1
= _________________________.
• 
2
= _________________________.
5. Plug these values into the Law of Refraction to determine the
value of n
1
/n
2
.
• n
1
/n
2
= _________________________.
6. The index of refraction for air is equal to 1.00. Use this fact to determine n
1
, the index of refraction for the styrene pellets.
Questions
1. In the diagram of Figure 4.3, the assumption is made that the wave is unrefracted when it strikes the first side of the prism
(at an angle of incidence of 0°). Is this a valid assumption?
2. Using this apparatus, how might you verify that the index of refraction for air is equal to 1.00.
3. Would you expect the refraction index of the styrene pellets in the prism mold to be the same as for a solid styrene prism?
Incident
Waves
Refracted
Waves
Normal to
Boundary of
Refraction

1

2

Figure 4.3: Geometry of Prism Refraction