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Physics IA-3

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60 views4 pages

Physics IA-3

Uploaded by

erkipek21
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Introduction

Wave-Particle Duality of light is a concept of light that has light behaviors like waves and
particles at the same time. Isaac Newton defended light was a particle. Christiaan Huygens
thought light was a wave, Thomas Young’s interference experiments and François Arago’
detection of Poisson spot supported Huygens claims. This claim was debunked by Max
Planck and Albert Einstein. Both of their experiments resulted in light’s particle-like
behavior. This was a controversial part of optics until Arthur Compton did multiple
experiments ranging between 1922 and 1924. His work showed light acted like particles and
waves

In wave optics, diffraction is the bending of waves when they encounter an obstacle or an
aperture. This is an event that is observable when light passes through a diffraction grating. A
diffraction grating consists of closely spaced slits that result in light to create, producing a
pattern of bright and dark regions. The resulting diffraction pattern depends on various
factors; including the wavelength of the light, number of slits, width of the slit.

This experiment shows how the wavelength of light influences the diffraction pattern through
a diffraction grating. Specifically, light sources with wavelengths of 450 nm (blue), 575 nm
(green), and 700 nm (red) will be used to examine the impact of different wavelengths on the
angle and spacing of the diffraction maxima.

The theoretical foundation of this experiment is based on the diffraction grating equation:

𝑑𝑠𝑖𝑛(θ) = 𝑚λ

where d is the distance between the slits on the grating, θ is the diffraction angle for the m-th
order of maximum, and λ is the wavelength of the light. This equation shows that the
diffraction angle increases as the wavelength increases, meaning that longer wavelengths
(such as red light, 700nm) will produce a wider diffraction pattern, while shorter wavelengths
(such as blue light 400nm) will produce a more thinner pattern.

By analyzing the diffraction patterns for different wavelengths, this experiment aims to
confirm the relationship between wavelength and the diffraction angle.

Research Question:

How does the wavelength of a light ( 450nm, 575nm, 700nm) affect the diffraction pattern
through a diffraction grating
Independent Variable:

Wavelength of the light (λ) such as the colors of the light and their respective wavelengths

Dependent Variable:

Angle of the diffraction grating (θ)

Controlled Variable:

- The distance between slits


- The distance between grating and the screen
- Intensity of the light

Materials:

Diffraction Grating: With a known grating spacing (600 lines per mm).

Monochromatic Light Sources:

○ Laser pointer with a wavelength of 450 nm (blue).


○ Laser pointer with a wavelength of 575 nm (green).
○ Laser pointer with a wavelength of 700 nm (red).

Screen: A white screen or paper to observe the diffraction pattern.

Measuring Tape: for measuring the distances on the screen.

Protractor: for measuring angles of diffraction

Clamp Stands: for securely holding the diffraction grating and the lasers.

Measuring Tools: For measuring the distance between the grating and the screen.

Dark Room: for making the diffraction patterns easier to see.


Procedure

Setting Up the Equipment:

● Attaching the diffraction grating to a stationary surface .


● Placing the screen 1 meter away (it’s 1 meter because to keep calculations more
simpler) from the grating.
● Positioning the laser so it shines perpendicularly through the grating onto the screen.

Record Grating Spacing:

● Note the grating’s line spacing (600 lines per mm).

Measure the Diffraction Pattern for 450 nm Light:

● Turning on the 450 nm (blue) laser.


● Observing the pattern on the screen and measuring the distance from the central bright
spot to the first bright spot on either side.
● Recording this distance.
● Doing this for 5 times to achieve more accurate results

Measure the Diffraction Pattern for 575 nm Light:

● Turning on the 575 nm (green) laser.


● Observing the pattern on the screen and measuring the distance from the central bright
spot to the first bright spot on either side.
● Recording this distance.
● Doing this for 5 times to achieve more accurate results

Measure the Diffraction Pattern for 700 nm Light:

● Turning on the 700 nm (red) laser.


● Observing the pattern on the screen and measuring the distance from the central bright
spot to the first bright spot on either side.
● Recording this distance.
● Doing this for 5 times to achieve more accurate results.
Calculating the Diffraction Angle:

● Use the formula: θ


−1 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑡𝑜 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡−𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑚𝑎𝑥𝑖𝑚𝑢𝑚 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑛
θ = 𝑡𝑎𝑛 ( 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑡𝑜 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡−𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑚𝑎𝑥𝑖𝑚𝑢𝑚​)
)

to calculate the angle θ for each wavelength.

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