Chaulnes Method

Chaulnes Method

1. Goals of experiment:

The experiment presents a method of determining the refraction index for materials that are optic solid and shutter by Chaulnes Method

2. theory:

The refraction index which defines optical the mediums is the ratio between the speed of light in vacuum and the speed of light in the medium.

n=c/v

The relative index of refraction is the ration between the absolute index of refraction of the two mediums

n₂₁=n₂/n₁

Chaulnes Method of determination of the refraction index for transparent solids based on the refraction phenomena. This phenomenon is the change of the propagation direction of a ray of light on a surface of two transparent mediums. The ration between sinus of the incident angel and sinus of the refraction one is a constant measurement for two mediums and is equal with the relative index of refraction

sin i/sin r = n₂₁

we had 5 glasses and one Plexiglas, and these are the refraction indices:

The errors are made by:

• glasses impurities (they deviate the light)
• bad calibration of the microscope (R was not easy to read)