Determination of The Speed of Light.

Physics Department
Faculty of Science
An-Najah National University
Experimental Lab Manual

10221213
Dr. Muna Hajj yhya

Mohammed Bashar
Exp (9): Determination of the Speed of Light

Objectives of the experiment:
1. Determination of the speed of light in air.
2. Determination of the speed of light in acrylic glass and therefore, its refractive
index.
3. Determination of the Speed of light in water and therefore, its refractive index.
Apparatus:
1. Speed of light meter, moving retro-reflector, acrylic glass rod 49cm long, a tube
filled with water 50cm long.
2. Digital oscillosc0pe 25 MHZ, 2 channels
3. BNC Screened cable 750mm long
Introduction:
Setup and how the speed of light meter works:
Description:
Purpose of the meter:
Mode button on the meter:

Calibration button:
Modulation frequency BNC socket:
Signal emitted/Signal received BNC sockets:
Theory:
In the past, man considered that light travels momentarily because of its great speed.
Then, in 1676, Euler Romer explained that light has a limited velocity by studying the
virtual motion of Jupiter's moon. In 1865, Maxwell suggested that light is an
electromagnetic wave, and therefore speed C appeared in his theory of
electromagnetism. In 1905, Albert Einstein assumed the independence of the velocity
of light from the motion of the source of any celestial framework and proved its
stability. All the consequences related to its derivatives revealed the theory of special
relativity and explained that c is a natural constant and not only in the context of light
and electromagnetic phenomena. After centuries of increasing accuracy
measurements, the speed of light was defined in 1975 as 299,792,458 m / s with a
measurement uncertainty of 4 parts per billion. In 1983 the meter was redefined in the
international unit system as the distance traveled by light in the vacuum during
1/299792458 seconds. Thus, the numerical value c in m / s is now a constant constant
relative to the meter definition.
The speed of light in vacuum, commonly denoted c, is a universal physical constant

important in many areas of physics. Its exact value is 299,792,458 meters per second
(approximately 3.00×108 m/s, or 300,000 km/s (186,000 mi/s)). It is exact because the
unit of length, the meter, is defined from this constant and the international standard
for time.[2] According to special relativity, c is the maximum speed at which all
conventional matter and hence all known forms of information in the universe can
travel. Though this speed is most commonly associated with light, it is in fact the
speed at which all massless particles and changes of the associated fields travel in
vacuum (including electromagnetic radiation and gravitational waves). Such particles
and waves travel at c regardless of the motion of the source or the inertial reference
frame of the observer. In the theory of relativity, c interrelates space and time, and
also appears in the famous equation of mass–energy equivalence E = mc2.
The speed at which light propagates through transparent materials, such as glass or
air, is less than c; similarly, the speed of radio waves in wire cables is slower than c.
The ratio between c and the speed v at which light travels in a material is called the
refractive index n of the material (n = c / v). For example, for visible light the
refractive index of glass is typically around 1.5, meaning that light in glass travels at c
/ 1.5 ≈ 200,000 km/s (124,000 mi/s); the refractive index of air for visible light is
about 1.0003, so the speed of light in air is about 299,700 km/s (186,220 mi/s) (about
90 km/s (56 mi/s) slower than c).
Speed of light in air:

:The Speed of light in water and acrylic glass
Experimental Procedure:
Determination of the speed of light in air:
1- Put the power of the oscilloscope ON by pushing the knob (‫ )مقبض‬at its top.
2- Put "On" the power of "the speed of light meter" by connecting the power cable to the
socket on its back.
3- By "Mode" knob of the "the speed of light meter", select the time scale (∆t). Note that
this time is 1000 times more than the real time.
4- On the long track, adjust the retro-reflector to "zero" position. Note that any position can
be selected.
5- On the "the speed of light meter", push the calibration knob so that the reading is (0).
(Note that the number 19.9 or 20 might appear, this time is the period of the given signal).
6- Start moving the reflector on the track and register the time (∆t) you obtain for
∆x=5cm.Note that the number you read in us should be divided by a factor of 1000,so, the
number you obtain is in ns.
7- Repeat the previous step by increasing the distance ∆x in steps of 5cm until 160cm.
8- Arrange your data in a suitable table. Include ∆s = 2 ∆x in a certain column.
9- Make a plot of the distance ∆s versus the time ∆t and, form its slope, determine the
speed of light in air. (Note that ∆s = c ∆t).
Determination of the speed of light in a medium (acrylic glass / water):

1- Adjust the "Mode" knob of the "the speed of light meter" to measure the change in
phase angle ∆Φ in degrees.
2- Put the retro-reflector at a certain position such as 50cm.
3- Locate the glass rod on the top of the two holders on the long track between the light
source and the reflector. Make sure the rod is close to the source and that the light is
incident on the middle of its cross sectional area. Notice that for better results, Keep
rotating the glass rod while watching the phase reading unit you obtain the max. phase
reading. When you take away the try to return it back to its original position without rotating
it.)
4- Push the calibration knob of "the speed of light meter" so that ∆Φ=0. Note that number
0 0r 359.9(360) which is the full phase angle of a complete signal may appear.
5- Remove away the glass rod and watch how the phase number is being reduced.
6- Move the reflector away from the source until the phase change reading is back to 0 or
360.
7- Register the new position of the reflector and determine the change in the distance ∆x
=xnew- 50.
8- Repeat steps 2 to 7 for positions 60, 70, 80 and 90cm and determine the corresponding
∆x.
9- Take the average value of the five values of ∆x and use eq. (1) to determine the
refractive index of glass (ng)
10- Use eq. (2) to determine the speed of light in glass (c g)
11- Repeat steps 2 to 10 by using the tube filled with water instead of the glass rod in
order to determine the refractive index of water (n w) and consequently, the speed of light in
water (cw).
The result:
∆s(cm) ∆t (ns)
0 0
10 0.3
20 0.7
30 1
40 1.4
50 1.7
60 2.1
70 2.4
80 2.8
90 3.1
100 3.5
110 3.9
120 4.2
130 4.6
140 4.9
150 5.3
160 5.6
170 6
180 6.3
190 6.6
200 7
210 7.3
220 7.7
230 8
240 8.4
250 8.7
260 9
270 9.4
280 9.7
290 10
300 10.3
310 10.7
320 11
12
f(x) = 0.03 x + 0.03
10
8
∆t (ns)
0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350
∆s (cm)
The speed of light in air = 3*108 m/s
For water:
x. x2 ∆x (cm) ∆x(avg) (cm)= lm=
50 70 0.2 .22 cm 150cm
60 81 0.21
70 92 0.22 nw=(∆x+lm)/lm
80 104 0.24
90 113 0.23 nw = 1.44
so Cw=Ca/nw → Cw=2.08*108m/s
For glass:
x. x2 ∆x (cm) ∆x(avg) (cm)= lm=
50 76 0.26 .266cm 149cm
60 86 0.27
70 97 0.27 ng=(∆x+lm)/lm
80 107 0.27
90 117 0.27 ng = 1.54
so Cg=Ca/ng → Cg=1.94*108m/s
Conclusion:
From this experiment we were able to determine the speed of light in the air.
Determine the speed of light in the acrylic glass and, therefore, the refractive
index. Determination of the speed of light in water and, therefore, the
refractive index. The results were very good but there are errors in each
experiment, including error in the devices and error in the data.
Questions :
1- What is the exact value of the refractive index of air?
Air at STP Nair= 1.000277
2- Show a graph presenting the dependence of the refractive index of air on the
wavelength at about 15oC and about 1 atmosphere.
3- From literature, find the values of the speed of light in air ca, the refractive
index of water nw and the refractive index of acrylic glass ng. Accordingly,
calculate the percentage errors of the obtained values.
4- What is the definition of the optical path length?

optical path length (OPL) or optical distance is the product of the geometric length of the
path light follows through the system, and the index of refraction of the medium through
which it propagates. A difference in optical path length between two paths is often called
the optical path difference (OPD). Optical path length is important because it determines
the phase of the light and governs interference and diffraction of light as it propagates.
5- In step 5 of determination the speed of light in medium, why do you, think

the phase number is being reduced?
When light passed, from medium with refractive index n large than the other medium
there is a phase change of the wave in the same medium phase change equal zero
because it not change.
6- Which is greater, the optical path length in water or in glass? Calculate each
of them.
the optical path length in glass is greater than water, because ng greater nw .
optical path length in glass=
optical path length in water=
7- What is a retro-reflector and what is its principle of operation?

A retroreflector (sometimes called a retroflector or cataphote) is a device or surface that
reflects light back to its source with a minimum of scattering. In a retroreflector an
electromagnetic wavefront is reflected back along a vector that is parallel to but opposite in
direction from the wave's source. The angle of incidence at which the device or surface
reflects light in this way is greater than zero, unlike a planar mirror, which does this only if
the mirror is exactly perpendicular to the wave front, having a zero angle of incidence.
8- Thinking of eq.(1), is there a way to make a plot in order to determine n?

What is that plot? What extra apparatus do you need in order to perform that?
nm=(∆x+lm)/lm , we can compare nm with lm , we can change the length of medium .
we need another rod of glass and water and change ∆x
∆x=lmnm -lm
∆x=lm(nm-1)
Slope = (nm-1)

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Physics Department

Experimental Lab Manual

Dr. Muna Hajj yhya

Exp (9): Determination of the Speed of Light

Purpose of the meter:

Mode button on the meter:

Modulation frequency BNC socket:

Signal emitted/Signal received BNC sockets:

The speed of light in vacuum, commonly denoted c, is a universal physical constant

Speed of light in air:

Determination of the speed of light in a medium (acrylic glass / water):

The speed of light in air = 3*108 m/s

4- What is the definition of the optical path length?

5- In step 5 of determination the speed of light in medium, why do you, think

7- What is a retro-reflector and what is its principle of operation?

8- Thinking of eq.(1), is there a way to make a plot in order to determine n?

nm=(∆x+lm)/lm , we can compare nm with lm , we can change the length of medium .

we need another rod of glass and water and change ∆x

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