What value did you calculate for the index of refraction of the block in Part 2? How does your value compare to the accepted value of 1.50? Calculate the percentage error. Different materials have distinct indexes of refraction. Explain how you might identify a material based on experiments like this one. Mention at least one of the difficulties in identifying materials based on their indexes of refraction.
To calculate the value of the index of refraction for the block in Part 2, you need to measure the angle of incidence and the angle of refraction. The index of refraction (n) can then be calculated using Snell's law:
n = sin(angle of incidence) / sin(angle of refraction)
Once you have the calculated value, you can compare it to the accepted value of 1.50. To calculate the percentage error, you use the following formula:
Percentage error = |(calculated value - accepted value) / accepted value| * 100
To identify a material based on experiments like this one, you would need to compare the calculated value of the index of refraction to known values for different materials. Each material has a distinct index of refraction, so by finding a match, you can determine the material.
One difficulty in identifying materials based on their indexes of refraction is that some materials have similar or overlapping index values. It can be challenging to differentiate between them using this method alone. Additionally, the accuracy of the measurements and the precision of the experimental setup could also introduce errors in the calculations, leading to potential deviations from the actual index of refraction.