Comparative study of the measurement of Refractive

indices between the Manual measurement and Diffraction

grating lens
McGilvyn Cris P. Salvador1, Andrian Lorenze L. Floro
Department of Physical Sciences, College of Science, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Sta.
Mesa, Manila 1016
1
E-mail: mcpsalvador@iskolarngbayan.pup.edu.ph

Abstract
This study compares the two methods of determining the refractive indices of materials: the
manual measurement of the change of light from its point of entry into the medium to the
point where the light leaves the medium, and the measuring the light propagation passing
through the diffraction grating lens. Both methods yielded errors less than 20% but the
measurement with the diffraction grating has less errors compared to the manual
measurement.

Keywords: Refractive index, Refraction

PACS: 42.25.Gy, 43.20.El

I. Introduction

The law of refraction made by Willebrord Snell, a Dutch astronomer and mathematician, explains that
the light passing through a medium is slower compared to the speed of light inside a vacuum. He
point out that refractive index of a material is the ratio of the speed of light in the medium relative to
its speed in the vacuum. This change of speed causes the bending of light from its original ray. [1]

c
n=
v

(1)

Where n is the refractive index of the material, c is the speed of light in the vacuum, and v is the
speed of light inside a medium.

Through experimental studies of incident and refractive rays, it was found out that for a
monochromatic light and a pair of materials a and b, that the ratio of the sines of the angle Ѳa and Ѳb,
where both measures from the normal to the surface is equal to the inverse ratio of the two indexes of
refraction.[2]

sin Ѳa nb
=
sin Ѳb na
 (2)

Where Ѳa is the angle of incidence, Ѳb is the angle of refraction, na is the refractive index of material
where the incident ray from, and nb is the refractive index of the medium where the refraction occurs

Equation (2) can be written as:

n a sin Ѳ a =nb sin Ѳ b

(3)

The equation explains that the higher the index of refraction of a material compared to the vacuum,
the farther the bending of light.

Manual getting of refractive index of a material requires to measure very small distance which will
cause experimental errors. With this the researchers would like to give an alternative way on how to
measure it with lower risk of having errors.

II. Methodology

Manual Measurement of Index of Refraction

The first experimental set-up requires a glass vessel, a laser pointer, pins, protractor, ruler, Styrofoam
board and the target liquid. The Styrofoam board is utilized to pinpoint the direction of the ray of
light from the laser. Before measuring the index of the target liquid material it is necessary to
calculate the distance where light goes in and out from the glass.

Point the laser to the piece of glass on top of the Styrofoam board at a certain angle Ѳ. Mark the ray
of light emitted using the pins.

Figure 1: Manual Getting of Index of Refraction

 Figure 2: The refraction of light at glass

The angle of refraction can be determined based on the geometry of the set-up.

Figure 3: Geometry of the experimental set-up in determining the index of glass

opposite side
tanѲ b ¿
adjacent side

opposite side
Ѳ b =tan −1
adjacent side
 x
Ѳb =tan −1
y

(4)

Where the x is distance from the point of entry of light to the point where it leaves the medium or the
change of position of light, and y is the inside thickness of the glass.

The glass vessel on top of the Styrofoam board will be filled with the target liquid. Point the laser to
glass vessel on top of the Styrofoam board at a certain angle Ѳ. Mark the ray of light emitted by the
laser at the specific points at the illustration below.

Figure 4: Refraction of light to glass and liquid

Where x2 is the distance from the point parallel to the incident ray from the glass and where it goes
out the glass and y2 is the inner thickness of the glass

Base on the geometry of the set-up we can get Ѳ c

 Figure 5: Geometry of the experimental set-up in determining the index of the liquid

opposite side
tanѲ c ¿
adjacent side

opposite side
Ѳ c =tan −1
adjacent side

x2
Ѳc =tan −1
y2

(5)

The index of refraction can be determined after getting the angle of refraction of the liquid.

n1 sin Ѳ1=n 2 sin Ѳ 2

(3)

n air sin Ѳair =n glass sinѲ glass=nliquid sin Ѳ liquid

n air sin Ѳ air =n liquid sin Ѳ liquid

n air sin Ѳair

nliquid =
sin Ѳliquid

Or n glass sin Ѳ glass=n liquid sin Ѳ liquid

n glass sinѲ glass

nliquid =
sin Ѳ liquid

(6)
Getting Refractive index of material using Diffraction Grating

The second set-up requires diffraction grating, glass vessel, laser, pins, ruler, Styrofoam board and the
target liquid. The Styrofoam board which is used to plot the diffracted beam of light is placed
perpendicular to the flat surface. Stick the diffraction grating on one side of the external walls of the
glass vessel (the higher the number of slits in the grating will result of having more precise data
compared to the theoretical value). Place the glass vessel on a flat surface away from the Styrofoam
board. Pour the target liquid inside the vessel.[3]

Figure 6: Getting Refractive index of material using Diffraction Grating

Place the laser in such a way that make its beam go above the liquid surface. Mark the location of a
zero fringe and two fringes of the first row using the pins.

Figure 7: Diagram of the light propagation at air

Then place the laser in such a way to make its beam go through the liquid. Mark again the location of
a zero fringe and two fringes of the first row using the pins.
 Figure 8: Diagram of the light propagation at the test subject

The fringes of the first row and the distance of the diffraction grating to the Styrofoam board can tell
the wavelength of light as it passes through a medium.

λ air =d sin α 1 λ liquid =d sin α 2

(7)

For approximation of small angles sinα is equivalent to tanα. Basing on the geometry of the
experimental set-up the equation is:

Figure 9: Geometry of the experimental set-up while the laser is pointing at the air

Figure 10: Geometry of the experimental set-up while the laser is pointing at test subject

x1
¿ air=tan α 1=
l
 x2
¿ test subject =tan α 2=
l

(8)

Making equation (7) be:

d ∙ x1 d ∙ x2
λ air = λ liquid =
l l

(9)

Comparing the two to get the index of refraction

λ air
n=
λliquid

d ∙ x1
l
n=
d ∙ x2
l

x1
n=
x2

(10)

III. Results and Discussion

The results of the two experiments on measuring the refractive index were compared on the
theoretical indices of the liquids based from the RefractiveIndex.INFO databse by Mikhail
Polvanskiv. It is noted that the light used in both experiments was green, with wavelength range of
495-570 nanometers, but the proponents considered the wavelength of 570 nanometers for the light
used in the experiment as the refractive indices database used the same wavelength of 570
nanometers in finding theoretical indices of the given liquids. [4]

For the manual measurement of refractive indices, three trials were done with a constant inside
thickness 11.805 centimeters. The average change of the light pathway ranges from 6.0477-7.9467
centimeters. the smallest error was obtained from the propylene glycol, having 0.3384% while the
highest error was from the isopropyl alcohol which is 17.7462%.

Chemical/Substanc Obtained Change Averag Experimental Theoretical Percentage

e 1st 2nd 3rd e Index Index Error
 Methanol 7.94 7.94 7.950 1.2664 1.3337 5.0461%
7.9467
5 5
Ethanol 6.04 6.05 6.048 1.5514 1.3623 13.8809%
6.0477
5 0
Ethylene glycol 7.34 7.34 7.347 1.6159 1.4323 12.8185%
7.3457
5 5
Propylene glycol 6.54 6.54 6.547 1.4529 1.448 0.3384%
6.5440
5 0
Benzene 5.45 5.46 5.459 1.6857 1.4972 12.5902%
5.4597
5 5
Isopropyl Alcohol 5.74 5.74 5.755 1.6216 1.3772 17.7462%
5.7483
5 5
Palm oil 5.44 5.45 5.440 1.6883 1.457 15.8751%
5.4450
5 0
Table 1: The results of the Manual Experiment

Chemical/ X1 X2 Average Experimental Theoretical Percentage

Substanc Index Index Error
e 1st 2nd 3rd 1st 2nd 3rd X1 X2
Methanol 4.15 4.16 4.15 3.25 3.26 3.26 4.15 3.26 1.2768 1.3337 4.2663%
Ethanol 4.51 4.51 4.49 3.05 3.04 3.05 4.50 3.05 1.4754 1.3623 8.3021%
Ethylene 4.40 4.39 4.39 3.00 2.95 2.90 4.39 2.95 1.5172 1.4323 5.9275%
glycol
Propylene 4.53 4.52 4.52 3.05 3.04 3.05 4.52 3.05 1.4846 1.448 2.5276%
glycol
Benzene 4.00 4.00 4.00 2.52 2.51 2.51 4.00 2.51 1.5965 1.4972 7.3494%
Isopropyl 4.35 4.35 4.36 2.83 2.83 2.84 4.35 2.83 1.5344 1.3772 11.4146%
Alcohol
Palm oil 4.10 4.11 4.10 2.57 2.57 2.57 4.10 2.57 1.5947 1.457 9.4509%
For obtaining the refractive indices using the Diffraction Grating, three trials were done. The average
distance of the light fringes ranges from 2.51-4.52 centimeters. The smallest error was obtained from
the propylene glycol, having 2.5276% while the highest error was from the isopropyl alcohol which is
11.4146%.

Table 2: The results of the Diffraction Experiment

Overall, the measurement of the refractive index using the diffraction grating yielded less error
compared to the manual measurement of refractive index.

IV. Summary and Conclusion

The results of the measurement were clearly shown that the obtained the refractive indices with the
use of the diffraction grating will yield less errors compared to the manual measurement. It was
observed that all of the percentage errors procured from both of the methods are less than twenty
percent. The errors generated during both measurements were caused by the uncertainties of the
measuring devices used during the experiment. The percentage errors obtained from both the
experiments are significant as it dictates which method will be more accurate and precise. The
proponents conclude that using the diffraction grating on measuring the refractive indices of materials
will produce near accurate results.

V. Acknowledgement

We would like to thank each of one of us who cooperates in doing this study for being responsible in
their assigned work, with their persevering selves. We also thank the College of Science Laboratory
for providing us the chemicals that were used in the experiment. We would like to express our
greatest gratitude to our instructor, Mr. Rogelio Dizon, who provide us new ideas to better known and
understand on how the light behaves in different medium.

References

[1] G. F. Wojewoda , Z. S. Zespół Szkół, and B. Poland , Measuring index of refraction.

[Online]. Available:
http://www.pl.euhou.net/docupload/files/Excersises/WorldAroundUs/IndexOfRefraction/Inde
xOfRefraction.pdf. [Accessed: 02-Feb-2020].

[2] H. D. Young and R. A. Freedman, UNIVERSITY PHYSICS, 14th ed. Place of publication not
identified, United States: PEARSON, 2014.

[3] “UTSC Homepage,” Chemistry Online @ UTSC. [Online].

Available:
https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/webapps/chemistryonline/production/refractive.php. [Accessed:
02-Feb-2020].

[4] RefractiveIndex.INFO website: © 2008-2020 Mikhail Polyanskiy [Online]

Available:
https://refractiveindex.info