Snell's Law Lab
Purpose: Determine the index of refraction of a rectangular piece of plastic.
Materials: rectangular plastic block, Rife ray box, plain paper, protractor
Procedure: Measure an incident angle, and its accompanying refracted angle. Then change the
orientation of the plastic to a new incident angle and make an additional set of measurements.
Collect at least 5 sets of incident angle data with their 5 sets of refracted angle data.
Analysis:
1. Create a data table – column heading should include:
Trial#
Angle of Incidence
Angle of Refraction
? Column
? Column
The last two columns require your thought. What must you plot to get a linear graph whose slope
is the index of refraction of the material? These should be the values you place in the last two
columns.
2. Plot an X-Y Scatter graph of the data.
3. Add a linear trend line with its equation.
4. In a convenient location on your graph record “n” for the plastic block.
Turn in:
1. Paper with drawing and measured angles (indicate whether you used the block or the container
with water)
2. Data table
3. Graph