TITLE: How a Liquid's refractive Index Varies with Other Physical

Properties

AUTHOR: Karen Buch

SCHOOL: Westborough High School

SCHOOL ADDRESS: West Main Street, Westborough, MA 01581

The objective of this project was to see whether the refractive index of liquids varies with their viscosity, temperature, and concentration in such a way that a relationship can be found between these properties.

In order to test different liquids, self-built apparatus were constructed. After measuring water at different temperatures, I found that as the temperature of the water decreases, the refractive index increased. I then measured different concentrations of sugar water and antifreeze in water. I found that an increase in concentration resulted in an increase in its refractive index. If the solutes have a lower refractive index than their solvents, then an increase in concentration would result in a decrease in the solutions refractive index. Finally I tested to see whether viscosity varied with a liquid's refractive index. Within a local region there seemed to be no correlation between the two factors yet over a large range liquid's with high viscosity had high refractive indices.