Sierzega/Ferri: Optics 5 Observation Experiments: Light Bending Go to: http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation /bending-light You have a laser beam (press the button to turn it on!) that is shining from into some other material such as,, mystery material A, or mystery material B. Use for part 1 of this lab. 5.1. Observational Experiments (Air Water) Grab the protractor from the toolbox and set it up so that you can easily measure the angle at which the laser beam strikes the (relative to the normal line) and the angle that it makes with the normal line once it is in the. a. What happens to the laser beam as it enters the? b. In Laser View - click on wave. Pose an explanation that explains why the light bends when it enters the.
Buggé: Optics 6 c. Collect the following data to help you find the relationship between the incident ray (the incoming laser beam from the ) and the refracted ray (the laser beam after it is bent by the ). Measure your angles relative to the normal. Angle of Incident Ray, Θ 1 Angle of Refracted Ray, Θ 2 20 40 60 80 90 d. Does the reflected beam behave in the same way it would if it were reflected off another smooth surface, like a mirror? e. When the incident ray enters the and bends, does it bend toward the normal line or away from the normal line? 5.2 Observational Experiments (Water Air) a. What happens to the laser beam as it enters the? b. In Laser View - click on wave. Pose an explanation that explains why the light bends when it enters the.
Sierzega/Ferri: Optics 5 c. Collect the following data to help you find the relationship between the incident ray (the incoming laser beam from the ) and the refracted ray (the laser beam after it is bent by the ). Measure your angles relative to the normal. Angle of Incident Ray, Θ 1 Angle of Refracted Ray, Θ 2 20 40 60 80 90 d. Does the reflected beam behave in the same way it would if it were reflected off another smooth surface, like a mirror? e. When the incident ray enters the and bends, does it bend toward the normal line or away from the normal line? 5.3 Summarize a. Can you see a pattern in the way a ray of light bends when it passes across a boundary surface between two substances? b. What determines how much the ray bends when it crosses a boundary surface?
Buggé: Optics 6 5.4. Summarize your conclusions - refraction of light rays Review your observations in the previous exercise. Consider the examples pictured below. ethyl alcohol 1. What are the dotted lines in the figure above? 2. Record the way light bends when passing from into each material and from each material back into the. Describe the direction of refraction in terms of the normal to the surface at the point where the ray passes through (toward the normal or away from the normal). Materials Direction of refraction: from Direction of refraction: to Relative amount of refraction Water and From into : From into : From into : From into : Glass and From into alcohol: From alcohol into : Alcohol and 3. Describe any patterns that can be detected in all the experiments above
Sierzega/Ferri: Optics 5 5.5 Predict and test - triangular prism 1. Use the pattern you found in the previous exercise to predict what will happen when a beam of light passes through a triangular prism. incident light ray 2. Perform the experiment. Did the results match your prediction? 5.6. Represent and reason - sunken toy Mike has dropped his new Samsung Galaxy IV smartphone into the swimming pool at south. 1. Draw the ray of light that reaches Mike's eye from the beautiful widescreen display. 2. What is the apparent position of this wonderful device from Mike's point of view?
Buggé: Optics 6 5.7. Predict and test We observed that when light passes from into another material, its path refracts towards a normal line that is perpendicular to the surface of the material. When light passes from another material into, its path refracts away from the normal line. Use this pattern to predict the path of light rays moving through a prism in each of the cases below. 1. Glass prism in laser beam 2. Hollow prism in. You can ignore the thin walls of the hollow prism. laser beam 3. Solid prism in Note that the light bends toward the perpendicular line when going from to, and vice versa in going from to. laser beam