How Does Water Affect The Refraction Of Salt Affect Water

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Does adding Sodium Chloride (NaCl) to Water affect the refractive angle of light?

The Index of refraction of a transparent object is a measure of its ability to alter the direction of a ray of light entering it. When light is passed through water it slows down, therefore when light slows down it changes direction and this is called refraction. Testing will be on finding how the angle of refraction changes in water as the amount of salt (NaCl) is increased.

When the amount of Sodium Chloride (NaCl) is changed in a solution with water how will it affect the angle of refraction of a ray of light?
Hypothesis:
I think that the angle of refraction will increase as the amount of salt is increased as the liquid becomes denser and the light will slow down and refract even more. As is shown in the salt solution refractive index table by topac, the refractive index (How much the light bends) is increased very slightly each time. So I think that the angle of refraction will increase but at a very slight rate possibly 1 degree or less as I will be using minimal salt changes. (Add more words)
Variable …show more content…

Variable What is The Variable How it will be used
Independent Variable Amount of Salt (NaCl) The amount of salt will change by 1g each time to a maximum of 5g
Dependent Variable Angle of Refraction It will be measured by drawing on the line of incidence and line of refraction and measuring the angle of refraction

Controlled Variable Same Angle of Incidence I will draw the angle of incidence 5 times and it will be exactly in the same place on every paper Same Light I will use the same light box and power source to keep the experiment controlled Same Medium Instead of changing water each time I will increase and dissolve an extra gram of salt each time
Equipment and Materials Required:

Scale
Measuring Cylinder
Ray

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