COMPLETE EXPERIMENTS ON OPTICS

Objective: Determine the focal length of a lens using the Bessel method On an optical bench it is possible to set up a light source, a lens, a screen and an object to be imaged in such a way that a well focussed image appears on the screen ... more

Objective: Record and interpret transmission spectra of transparent bodies A digital spectrophotometer is used to measure transmission spectra. In this instrument the transmitted light collected by an optical fibre is separated into its ... more

Objective: Demonstrate the wave nature of light and determine the wavelength Diffraction of light by a single slit can be described as the superposition of coherent wavelets which, according to Huygens’ principle, spread out from the ... more

Objective: Demonstrate the wave nature of light and determine the wavelength. The diffraction of light by multiple slits or a grating can be described by considering how the individual components of the coherent wave radiation are superimposed ... more

Objective: Generating interference between two beams using a Fresnel biprism. Refraction of a divergent light beam by means of a biprism separates the beam into two parts which, since they are coherent, will interfere with one another. The ... more

Objective: Demonstrate and investigate how a Michelson interferometer works In a Michelson interferometer a coherent light beam is separated into two rays travelling in different directions by inserting a half-silvered mirror in the path ... more

Objective: Determine the refractive index of glass A Michelson interferometer can be used for interferometric measurement of refractive indices in particular because it is sensitive to changes in the optical path of a split beam of light ... more

Objective: Demonstration of “quantum erasure” in an experiment by analogy Light itself can be described in quantum mechanics by means of wave equations. From this it is possible to derive the spatial distribution of the probability ... more

Objective: Investigate the rotation of the plane of polarisation by sugar solutions Sugar solutions are optically active, in other words they rotate the plane of polarisation of any linearly polarised light that is passed through them. The ... more

Objective: Demonstration of Pockels effect in a conoscopic beam path The Pockels effect is an electro-optical effect in which an electric field within a suitable material splits a light beam into two beams polarised perpendicular to one ... more

Objective: Demonstrate the Faraday effect and determine the Verdet constant for flint glass Optically isotropic, transparent, non-magnetic materials become optically active in a magnetic field. They rotate the plane of polarisation of linearly ... more

Objective: Verify the inverse square law for the intensity of radiation from a source of light According to the inverse square law, the intensity of radiation from a light source, i.e. the power per unit area, is inversely proportional to ... more

Objective: Verify that intensity of radiation is proportional to the fourth power of the temperature, T4 The way that intensity of radiation from a black body depends on temperature is described by the Stefan-Boltzmann law. Similar ... more

Objective: Determine the velocity of light from the transit time of short light pulses The fact that light is propagated at a finite speed can be demonstrated by a simple transit time measurement. This is achieved by using very short light ... more

Objective: Set up and calibrate a prism spectrometer A prism spectrometer utilises the dispersion of light into its spectral components by means of a prism to measure optical spectra. In order to measure wavelengths, it is necessary to calibrate ... more