Index of
refraction of liquids
versus amount of additive |
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Introduction:
One indicator of the optical
density of a material is the index of refraction value of the
material. Index of refraction values (represented by the symbol n)
are numerical index values which are expressed relative to the
speed of light in a vacuum. The index of refraction value of a
material is a number which indicates the number of times
that a light wave would be in that material rather than in a
vacuum. A vacuum is given an n value of 1.0000. |
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We can calculate the index of refraction using the angle that light
bends when traveling from one material to another material. If the index
of refraction of a solution changes based on the amount of solutes we
can use such property to find out the density of the solute without even
touching it. For example, sugar factories will be able to know the
percent of sugar in a solution while it is passing through a clear pipe.
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Project
description:
In this project you try to use refraction to determine the
concentration of salt or sugar in water. You may use a refractometer for
your experiments or build a refractometer as described in project
details. |
Details
of this project
More details or support for this project is available for the
members of ScienceProject.com web site. Material
needed for experiment or a science kit about this title may be
available at MiniScience.com. |
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