Abstract
In this paper, we will discuss what an index of refraction is and how to calculate that number. The experiment used a helium-neon gas laser, a plastic hemisphere, and a basic optics ray table by PASCO. Using that equipment, the index of refraction was calculated for the plastic. The refractive index was calculated as 1.7±2.8×10^−2. This value falls in the range of refractive indices for plastics, which is 1.3 through 1.8.
