Snell's Law: Index of Refraction n₂
Measure θ₁ in air and θ₂ in glass; n₁ sin θ₁ = n₂ sin θ₂, with n₁ = 1, fit sin θ₂ vs sin θ₁ with slope 1/n₂.
Goal
Determine n₂ for glass from multiple incident angles.
Equipment
- Air–glass interface
- Protractor (sim)
Theory
Snell: sin θ₂ = (n₁/n₂) sin θ₁, line through origin in (sin θ₁, sin θ₂) plane, slope 1/n₂.
Procedure
- Change the incident angle; record (θ₁, θ₂) in degrees with small noise.
- Convert sines in the table; fit sin θ₂ vs sin θ₁; n₂ = 1/slope (n₁ = 1).
Experiment
Conclusion
n₂ is consistent with the glass model.