In this lab, we're investigating some of the wave properties of light by examining why a pencil looks different in water.
Phenomena:
Question(s):
Experimental Design:
Results:
Phenomena:
- A pencil looks bent in water
Question(s):
- Why does it do that?
- How much does light bend in water?
Experimental Design:
- Take a laser and measure the angle it goes into the water.
- Measure the angle the laser takes as it goes through the water.
- Record the results on a data table & graph the results.
- Calculate the angle of refraction index.
- Observe any other phenomena along the side.
- Apply my findings to the pencil phenomena by making a model.
Results:
Revised lab on the board
Model
My understanding thus far:
(What this means is that I'm aware that I may have some limitations of my insight, and that there is more to learn).
Why the ruler looks short at a low angle and a little longer at a higher angle is due to the refraction of light. When light hits the object, light then travels through the water and bends when it hits the air. The reason why this is the case is because light travels slower in water than it does air.
The virtual image is made when the refracted light is extended or projected from the eye to the object (ruler). This is where the bottom of the ruler appears to be, but is not in reality.
(What this means is that I'm aware that I may have some limitations of my insight, and that there is more to learn).
Why the ruler looks short at a low angle and a little longer at a higher angle is due to the refraction of light. When light hits the object, light then travels through the water and bends when it hits the air. The reason why this is the case is because light travels slower in water than it does air.
The virtual image is made when the refracted light is extended or projected from the eye to the object (ruler). This is where the bottom of the ruler appears to be, but is not in reality.
Summary
Points of interest learned from the lab.
From this lab, we learned that:
From this lab, we learned that:
- Light is a wave and behaves like a wave. (As you progress in your learning of physics, you'll learn later about the particle nature of light - but for now, we're keeping it simple).
- Light can be bent (Refraction Index)
- Objects may appear bent, when they really are not. This is called refraction.
- Water slows down light, which causes light to bend. This is the basis of refraction.
- Water also simultaneously reflects light.
- In order to see the laser light, you must add small particles into the watery mix which scatters the light. This makes it more translucent than transparent.
- If you put in too much "stuff" it becomes opaque, and light is not able to transmit through.
- Green laser light is still green when filtered
- Red laser light is also still red when filtered.
- However, white light can be filtered to the color of the filter.
- Red lasers transmit through red Jell-O, Green gets absorbed.
- Reflection: When light come in, hits the surface and goes out the same angle it came in.
- Refraction: When light enters into the other material (medium) and gets bent due to a change in the speed of light.
- Transmission: When light goes through the material.
- Emission: The source of light when it is made.
- Absorption: When light no longer transmits through the material.
- Scattering: When light goes in different directions after hitting an object.
- Diffusion: When light splits based on its wavelength
- Opaque: When light does not go through the material, and an image is not seen.
- Translucent: When light is scattered in the medium and light or a fuzzy image is seen.
- Transparent: When light is not scattered in the medium and there is a clear image seen.
Resources:
- http://web.mit.edu/knazemi/www/advancedExperiment1.htm
- https://www.kullabs.com/classes/subjects/units/lessons/notes/videoplay/743/2647