Does The Sugar Concentration Of Water Affects Its Refractive Index?
To What Extent does the Sugar Concentration of Water Affects Its Refractive Index?
1. Introduction
1.1 Background
Why do object when placed in a bucket of water bend? This is not magic but it is a property of light known as refraction. The bending of light when it travels from one medium to another is known as refraction.
Different mediums have different densities and density is defined as the amount of mass per unit volume. The higher the density, the higher is the number of particles in a given volume. Therefore as light travels from an optically rarer medium to an optically denser medium, it collides with more particles in a denser medium than in a rarer medium causing it to change its …show more content…
The green line represents the original beam of light that is incoming from the laser. When light passes through the water tub, it undergoes both reflection from the surface and refraction. The yellow arrowed line shows the beam of light that is reflected and the red arrowed line shows the pathway of the light beam after it has undergone refraction. It can be noticed that there is a lateral displacement between the refracted ray and the reflected ray. The refracted and the reflected ray will be collected on a screen. The red line at the base of the container is a mirror. A mirror is used in order to reflect all the light that has been refracted. Without the mirror, it would have been difficult, nearly impossible, to see the laser on the screen. Moreover, light could have reflected/refracted of the base of the transparent water container thereby giving inaccurate results. Hence it was imperative that I used a mirror in order to ensure accurate results.
2.2.1 Proposed Hypothesis
Based on previous knowledge and understanding studied in IB HL Physics Course, I believe that the Refractive Index of water should be directly proportional to its concentration. By this I mean that, an increase in sugar concentration should cause an increase in refractive index. This is because as the concentration is increasing, the density is increasing. Therefore, the light collides with more particles. As there are more collisions, naturally …show more content…
Therefore I made on a screen on the wall by using black paper and sticking it to the wall using tape and tack. I also had to make sure that the base of the tub of water was level. If it wasn’t level, this could have changed the angle of refraction thereby affecting the results. Therefore, using a spirit level, I ensure that the surface was level. In case it was, I would add small pieces of cardboard in order to ensure it was level. I stuck the mirror to the surface using tack otherwise it would move from it position when I pour in the
1. Introduction
1.1 Background
Why do object when placed in a bucket of water bend? This is not magic but it is a property of light known as refraction. The bending of light when it travels from one medium to another is known as refraction.
Different mediums have different densities and density is defined as the amount of mass per unit volume. The higher the density, the higher is the number of particles in a given volume. Therefore as light travels from an optically rarer medium to an optically denser medium, it collides with more particles in a denser medium than in a rarer medium causing it to change its …show more content…
The green line represents the original beam of light that is incoming from the laser. When light passes through the water tub, it undergoes both reflection from the surface and refraction. The yellow arrowed line shows the beam of light that is reflected and the red arrowed line shows the pathway of the light beam after it has undergone refraction. It can be noticed that there is a lateral displacement between the refracted ray and the reflected ray. The refracted and the reflected ray will be collected on a screen. The red line at the base of the container is a mirror. A mirror is used in order to reflect all the light that has been refracted. Without the mirror, it would have been difficult, nearly impossible, to see the laser on the screen. Moreover, light could have reflected/refracted of the base of the transparent water container thereby giving inaccurate results. Hence it was imperative that I used a mirror in order to ensure accurate results.
2.2.1 Proposed Hypothesis
Based on previous knowledge and understanding studied in IB HL Physics Course, I believe that the Refractive Index of water should be directly proportional to its concentration. By this I mean that, an increase in sugar concentration should cause an increase in refractive index. This is because as the concentration is increasing, the density is increasing. Therefore, the light collides with more particles. As there are more collisions, naturally …show more content…
Therefore I made on a screen on the wall by using black paper and sticking it to the wall using tape and tack. I also had to make sure that the base of the tub of water was level. If it wasn’t level, this could have changed the angle of refraction thereby affecting the results. Therefore, using a spirit level, I ensure that the surface was level. In case it was, I would add small pieces of cardboard in order to ensure it was level. I stuck the mirror to the surface using tack otherwise it would move from it position when I pour in the