Experiment 5

REFRACTIVE INDEX OF LIQUIDS AND SOLUTIONS

Johanna C. Alvarez, Kathleen T. Bartolo, Krista C. Batac,

Daniel E. Belando, and Rinnel L. Bonifacio
Group 1 2C Biochemistry Physical Chemistry Laboratory

ABSTRACT
The refractive index of different liquid solutions was determined in this experiment using the
abbe refractometer. The specific and molecular refractivity of each liquid were also determined.
drops of solution were put in the prism, after it was cleaned and calibrated using water. The
correct adjustment of the refractometer was done, that is, the demarcation line between light
and dark fields seen through the eyepiece is distinct and intersects the cross hairs. The readings
of the index of refraction were recorded. In determining the density of the liquids, we used
Westphal balance. Specific refraction and molecular refraction were calculated using the
refractive index and density, and average molecular weight. In this experiment, the relationships
between identities of solution were concluded, that the refractive index of a medium is inversely
proportional to the velocity of light in a medium. Therefore, light travels faster in water.

INTRODUCTION

Refractive index of pure liquid that is measured and displayed on the

substances and of their solutions is an optical
property of matter that has been measured
and interpreted since the early nineteenth
century,[1] Refractive index is used in many
fields such as food production,
pharmaceuticals and other chemical based
industry to monitor the purity of a substance
that also serves as an important optical
parameter, since some refractive index data
for some liquids cannot be easily found in
reference books, it must be measured if
needed in some cases,[2]. To address the
interrelationship between the refractive index
and the density of pure liquids and of their
ideal mixtures, there are obtained equations
describing the dependence on composition of
the ideal refractive index. Thereafter, the
refractive index increases upon the operation
of mixing two liquids to form an ideal mixture
and with changing composition at fixed
temperature, it demonstrates theoretically
that the squared ideal refractive index
depends linearly on both the ideal density and
the reciprocal of ideal molar volume.[3]
In this experiment, Abbe
Refractometer was used, which is one of the
most common instruments that is used to
measure refractive indices of a substance. To
determine refractive index a knob is adjusted
until the dark half of the view until it reaches
the two intersection of two lines of the view,
monitor of the refractometer, in which it
shows the objectives of this experiment: (1)
To measure refractive indices of a liquids
using Abbe Refractometer; and (2) to
determine the relationship between
concentration and refractive index.
EXPERIMENTAL
A. Sample used
Castor oil, 0.1 Sucrose Solution, and
Distilled water was used in this experiment to
demonstrate refractive index of liquid, and to
measure concentration dependence of
refractive index
B. Procedure
To determine the refractive index of
liquid using abbe refractometer, we are to
operate the Abbe refractometer, to clean the
prisms lint-free tissue paper is to be used,
then with a 3-5 drops of liquid sample on the
surface of the lower prism, observe trough the
ocular and adjust the knobs clockwise or
counter-clockwise till the boundary of the
light and dark half on the boundary becomes
tangent with intersections of crossed hairs.
Use the Westphal balance to determine the
density of the substances and repeat the
procedure for 3 trials for different substance.
 Computations used:

Calculating the Specific Refraction and Molar

Refraction
Rs= [(n2 –1) / (n2+ 2)] 1/ρ
Rm= Rs (M ave)
where: n= refractive index
ρ= density
M ave = Average Molecular weight
Rs = specific refraction
Rm = molecular refraction

Table 1. Refractive index of liquid.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Sample dH2O Castor Oil 0.01
In order to understand and explain the
Sucrose
use of refractive index and be able to
Molecula 18.01 1933.402 342.296
determine the relationship of concentration
r Weight g/mol g/mol g/mol
and, refractive index we use different liquid
Density 1.00g/m 0.961g/m 2.98g/m
sample with different density and molecular
L L L
weight. To determine the quantitative
measure of refractive index, is to compute
Refractiv 16.0 18.0 17.8
with the velocity of light c of a given
e index.
wavelength in empty space divided by its
Trial 1
velocity v in a substance, or n = c/v, and to
Trial 2 16.9 17.9 17.9
multiple mole fraction from refractive index,
Multiply the mole fraction of each component Trial 3 16.5 18.0 17.3
by the refractive index of that component, Mean 16.5 18.0 17.3
then sum all products to determine the Standard 0.260 0.00882 0.2400
estimated refractive index of the solution. The Error
experiment was assumed to have a room
temperature of 25°C and an atmospheric
pressure of 1 atm with a 10 dm light bulb.
In table 1, three trials are done to
The refractive index of a medium is inversely compare 3 liquid samples (distilled water,
proportional to the velocity of light in a caster oil, and 0.01M sucrose solution)
medium. Therefore, light travels faster in
water. Refractive index measures the The obtained mean of refractive index for the
concentration of solute in a solution and can trials are 16.5, 18.0, and 17.3 with the
also be used to identify a substance or confirm density of 1.00g/mL, 0.961g/mL, 2.98g/mL
its purity by measuring the concentration, respectively. The data obtained, shows an
knowing that the refractive index could give
inverse relationship for the density and
some information about molecular structure
refractive index, as it shows that Castor oil
of compounds, determine the sugar content
of solutions and identify the identity of a has higher refractive index and has the lowest
sample by relating or comparing the known density compared to the other substance,
values to refractive index. Specific refractivity same with the rest of the samples.
and molecular refractivity, which has been
determined in this experiment, and would
also be more useful in determining the
variation of a solution in order to know its
contents by comparing it to the true value.
Table 2. Concentration Dependence on
Refractive Index.

Conc. 1% 3% 5% 10%
(Glycerol)
Density 3.00 3.0 3.0 3.09
g/ml 00 580 790 00
Refractive 17.0 17. 17. 17.5
Index 2 3
Molar 30.3 29. 29. 29.5
Refractivit 8 81 61 1
y
(cm3/mol)

In Table 2, it shows the relationship of

density, refractive index, and Molar
refractivity where, we know that the molar
refractivity is a measure of the total
polarizability of a mole of a substance and is
dependent on the temperature. The
relationship between the index of refraction is
directly proportional with density, whereas,
the refraction index increases as the density
of a solution increases, and we can also see
that when the refractive index increases the
concentrated glycerol also increases.
Moreover, the specific and molecular
refraction also increases with increase in
mole.

REFERENCES
[1] J. R. Partington, An Advanced Treatise on
Physical Chemistry, Vol. 4, Physico-
Chemical Optics, Longmans, London,
1953.
[2] H.B. Thomas, K. Matsumoto, T. Eiju, K.
Matsuda, N. Ooyama, Appl. Opt. 30, 745
(1991).
[3] A. F. S. Santos, M. L. C. J. Moita, I. M. S.
Lampreia, J. Chem. Thermodyn. 2009,
41, 1387 – 1393. Note: Redlich–Kister ai
coefficients in Table 2 of this reference
are valid for aqueous mixtures with x(1-
PP-2-ol)0.041 and the bi coefficients are
for x(1-PP-2-ol)0.041