Measuring refractive index of water

AI Thread Summary
To measure the refractive index of water, using a refractometer is recommended, but it may not be accessible to everyone due to cost. For educational experiments, Total Internal Reflection offers a practical alternative that utilizes common equipment. Resources like HyperPhysics can provide guidance on conducting simple and cost-effective experiments. The discussion emphasizes the need for accessible methods in educational settings. Overall, exploring alternative techniques can yield effective results without specialized tools.
Daisy
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Does anyone know any good experimental techniques of measuring refractive index of water?
 
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M Quack said:
Use a refractometer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refractometer
Not very helpful if you 1. Haven't got one, 2. Can't afford one.

If this is a school type of experiment that you're after then using Total Internal Reflection is a good approach because you can use readily available equipment. You might find this hyper physics link gives you an idea for a simple and cheap experiment.
 
Not very helpful maybe, but given the level of detail in the op...
 
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