The Prism Spectrometer: Experiment 5
The Prism Spectrometer: Experiment 5
The Prism Spectrometer: Experiment 5
In this experiment you will determine the refractive index n(λ) of a glass prism by measuring the minimum
deviation angle D(λ) with the spectrometer.
The Spectrometer
The spectrometer consists of:
• a collimator C which produces a parallel beam of light from the illuminated slit as a source
• a prism P on a table (the table can tilted with three adjusting screws)
• a telescope T which forms, from the incident parallel beam, a sharp image of the slit on G
1. Adjust the eyepiece position until the crosshairs are seen sharply with the un-accommodated eye.
2. Direct the telescope to an infinitely far-away object, and adjust the distance between G and the
telescope objective lens until the object is seen sharply on the crosshairs. The telescope is now
focused for a parallel incident beam.
3. Direct the telescope towards the collimator and adjust the distance between the collimator and slit S
until S is seen sharply on the crosshairs. Then the collimator is focused to produce a parallel beam
from the illuminated slit.
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14 EXPERIMENT 5. THE PRISM SPECTROMETER
1. Set the prism on the table with its apex facing the collimator.
3. Swing the telescope around until the slit image, reflected from one prism face, is exactly on the
crosshairs.
5. Swing the telescope around until the slit image, reflected from the other prism face, is exactly on the
crosshairs.
5.3. THE INDEX OF REFRACTION 15
6. Again read the verniers and let the angles be θ2 (I) and θ2 (II).
The apex angle can the be calculated from the following equations:
Derive these equations and determine the value of A (and its error) from your data.
5.4 Procedure
Illuminate the spectrometer slit with light from the He discharge tube. The tube emits a line spectrum at
the wavelengths listed in Table 5.1.
1. Set the prism on the prism table so that the light from the collimator fills one polished face.
2. Rotate the prism table and telescope until they are approximately in the minimum deviation position.
You should then see the spectrum of the He discharge tube.
3. To find the minimum deviation position for a certain wavelength, rotate the prism table until the slit
image (for that wavelength) just reverses its direction of rotation.
4. Clamp the table in this position, and rotate the telescope until the slit image is exactly on the
crosshairs. Read both verniers, θ1 (I) and θ1 (II).
16 EXPERIMENT 5. THE PRISM SPECTROMETER
5. Remove the prism and rotate the telescope until the “straight-through” slit image is again on the
crosshairs. Let the vernier readings be θ2 (I) and θ2 (II).
Calculate D for this wavelength from D = θ1 (I)−θ2 (I) and D = θ1 (II)−θ2 (II). Repeat the measurements
for all wavelengths, and calculate from it n(λ). Graph n(λ) versus λ.
B
n(λ) = n0 + (5.2)
λ2
From your n(λ) data determine the constants n0 and B for the prism glass by plotting n(λ) versus 1/λ2 .
In your report derive equation (5.1). Do proper error analysis; determine σn from the errors σA and
σD. Since the angles A and D can be read with great accuracy using the verniers, n(λ) can be determined
very accurately.