Measurement of refractive index of liquids using s- and p-polarized light

A recently developed reflectometer was used for the determination of the wavelength-dependent refractive index of liquids. Reflectance from the prism-liquid interface was analysed using the formulae derived from the relation between Fresnel's amplitude reflection coefficients r _s and r _p . Two sets of test liquids were prepared and the real refractive indices of the solutions were determined at 590 nm. The consistency of the results was experimentally tested using a commercial Abbe refractometer