Dang Nguyen, 1

Basic Optics Systems

Experiment [OS- 8515C]

by

Dang Nguyen

Submitted to

Professor John Barry

Physics Lab Report [2126]

Southwest College
Houston Community College System

Spring 2021
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Experiment 1: Color Addition

Purpose: In Part 1 of this experiment, you will discover the results of mixing red, green, and

blue light in different combinations. In Part 2, you will compare the appearance of red, blue, and

black ink illuminated by red and blue light.

Table 1.1: Results of Colored Light

Colors Added Resulting Color

red + blue + green White light
red + blue Grey or white
red + green Yellow
green + blue Blue green
1. Is mixing colored light the same as mixing colored paint? Explain.

Mixing light adds up the light. If you take two colored light and mix them, the sum is

lighter, and the color is at least slightly less saturated. Paint produces color from white light

shining on it by absorbing many wavelengths in the white light and reflecting only a few.

The reflected light reaches our eyes, the absorbed light is lost.

2. White light is said to be the mixture of all colors. In this experiment, did mixing red,

green, and blue light result in white? Explain.

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Yes, if we mix red, green, and blue light, we get white light. This is additive color. As

more colors are added, the result becomes lighter, heading toward white.

Part 2: Observing Colored Ink Under Colored Light

Table 1.2: Colored Ink Observed Under Colored Light

Trial 1: Name of observer: Dang

Color of Light Line Apparent Color of Ink Do they look Actual Color of

different? Ink
Blue Light A Black Very slightly Red
B Black Black
Red Light C Red yes Red
D black Black

Trial 1: Name of observer: Khang

Color of Light Line Apparent Color of Ink Do they look Actual Color of

different? Ink
Blue Light A Red Yes Black
B Blue Blue
Red Light C Black no Black
D black Blue
Look at red and black lines under red light. Which line is easier to see?

___________Black______________

1. What makes red ink appear red? When red ink is illumined by blue light, is most of the

light absorbed or reflected?

Light is made up of wavelengths of light, and each wavelength is a particular color, object

appear different colors because they absorb some color and reflected or transmitted other color.

White light is made of all the colors of the rainbow. The red dye molecules absorb all colors

except red. Red light is the only light that is reflected from the ink. That is why red ink appears

red.
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2. When illumined with red light, why is red ink on white paper more difficult to see than

black ink?

When red ink on white paper is viewed through red light, it becomes invisible because

red light makes the paper appear as red as the ink. The red light removes any contrast

between the ink and the paper.

Black ink absorbs red light and remain black, but the paper appears red due to red light.

Therefore, there is a contrast between the black ink and red paper.

Summary: The subject of color perception can be simplified if we think in terms of primary

colors of light. We have already learned that white is not a color at all, but rather the presence of

all the frequencies of visible light. When we speak of white light, we are referring to ROYGBIV

- the presence of the entire spectrum of visible light. But combining the range of frequencies in

the visible light spectrum is not the only means of producing white light. White light can also be

produced by combining only three distinct frequencies of light, provided that they are widely

separated on the visible light spectrum. Any three colors (or frequencies) of light that produce

white light when combined with the correct intensity are called primary colors of light. There are

a variety of sets of primary colors. The most common set of primary colors is red (R), green (G)

and blue (B). When red, green, and blue light are mixed or added together with the proper

intensity, white (W) light is obtained.

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Experiment 2: Prism

Purpose: The purpose of this experiment is to show how a prism separates white light into its

component colors and to show that different colors are refracted at different angles through a

prism.

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1. Rotate the trapezoid until the angle (θ) of the emerging ray is as large as possible and the ray

separates into colors.

(a) What colors do you see? In what order are they?

Colors in the order Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet are seen from top to

bottom of the emergent beam.

(b) Which color is refracted at the largest angle?

The angle of diffraction is directly proportional to the wavelength, and hence the diffraction is

as:

Red > Orange > Yellow > Green > Blue > Indigo > Violet

(c) According to Snell’s Law and the information given about the frequency dependence of the

index of refraction for acrylic, which color is predicted to refract at the largest angle?

Red color refracts the most.

2. Without repositioning the light source, turn the wheel to select the three primary color

rays. The colored rays should enter trapezoid at the same angle that the white ray did. Do the

colored rays emerge from the trapezoid parallel to each other? Why or why not?

Yes, they are parallel because the side of the 3D trapezoid all have equal measurements

in both sides.

Summary: In a real parallel glass slide (with two prisms imagined to be touching each other to

form a parallel glass slide), The ray of light should pass through the Z in between without any
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dispersion or change in direction because the density in both of the prisms is the same (and they

are touching each other).

Experiment 4: Snell’s Law

Purpose:

The purpose of this experiment is to 8%)% *

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determine the index of refraction of the acrylic

trapezoid. For rays entering the trapezoid, you

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will measure the angles of incidence and

refraction and use Snell’s Law to calculate the

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index of refraction.
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Angle of Incidence Angle of Refraction Calculated index of refraction of acrylic

42º 22 º 1.786
57 º 32 º 1.582
71 º 43 º 1.386
Average:1.58

sin ⁡( i) u2
Snell’s law given: =
sin ⁡(r ) u1

Here, u1= 1 (air) and u2 = u

For case 1, i ¿42º and r = 22 º

sin ⁡( 42º ) u
 = => u = 1.786
sin ⁡( 22º ) 1

What is the angle of the ray that leaves the trapezoid relative to the ray that enters it?

As the incident and emergent surfaces are parallel, the angle of emergence is equal to the

angle of incidence.
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Summary: Snell's law gives the relationship between angles of incidence and refraction for a

wave impinging on an interface between two media with different indices of refraction. The law

follows from the boundary condition that a wave is continuous across a boundary, which requires

that the phase of the wave be constant on any given plane, resulting in n1sin θ1 = n2sin θ2, were

and are the angles from the normal of the incident and refracted waves, respectively.
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Experiment 5: Total Internal Reflection

Purpose: In this experiment, you will determine the critical angle at which total internal

reflection occurs in the acrylic trapezoid and confirm your result using Snell’s Law.
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Remove the trapezoid and draw the rays that are incident upon and reflected from the inside

surface of the trapezoid. See Figure 5.4. Measure the angle between these rays using a protractor.

(Extend these rays to make the protractor easier to use.) Note that this angle is twice the critical

angle because the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection. Record the critical angle

here: θc = ___43º____ (experimental)

Using Snell’s law:

sin ⁡( i) u2
=
sin ⁡(r ) u1

Here, u1= u = 1.5 (given) and u2 = 1

When i=i c then r = 90º

sin ⁡( ic ) 1
=
sin ⁡( 90º ) u 1

−1 2
 i c = sin ( ) = 42.06
3

¿
% different = ¿ 43−42.06∨ 43 ∗100 ¿ = 2.19%

1. How does the brightness of the internally reflected ray change when the incident

angle changes from less than θc to greater than θc?

The brightness of the internally reflected ray would increase when the incident angle from

less than θc to greater than θc.

2. Is the critical angle greater for red light or violet light? What does this tell you about

the index of refraction?

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The critical angle is greater for the red light. The index of refraction is smaller for the red

light. The index of refraction is inversely proportional to the wavelength of the light.

Summary: In general, total internal reflection takes place at the boundary between two

transparent media when a ray of light in a medium of higher index of refraction approaches

the other medium at an angle of incidence greater than the critical angle. For a water-air

surface, the critical angle is 48.5°. Because indices of refraction depend on wavelength, the

critical angle (and hence the angle of total internal reflection) will vary slightly with

wavelength and, therefore, with color. At all angles less than the critical angle, both

refraction and reflection occur in varying proportions.

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Experiment 6: Convex and Concave Lenses

Purpose: In this experiment, you will explore the difference between convex and concave lenses

and determine their focal lengths.

Table 6.1: Results

Convex Lens Concave Lens

Focal 14.6cm 14cm

Length

Summary: The experiment was conducted to explore the difference between the convex and

concave lens. Based on the experiment, a concave lens is thinner in the middle and thicker at the

edges while the convex lens is thicker in the middle and thinner at the edges. Also, it was

observed that incident rays in the concave lens diverge away from the principal axis while for the

concave lens, the incident rays converge towards the principal axis. In terms of focal length, the

concave lens has a negative focal Length while the convex lens has a positive focal length. This

result is supported by theories which state that a convex lens or converging lens focuses the light

rays to a specific point whereas a concave lens or diverging lens diverges the light rays.
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