Optics

Photoelectric effect

Subjective colour mixing with the colour wheel

Principle

If a circular disc separated into various differently coloured sectors is rotated by a motor so fast that the eye can no longer distinguish the colours, a mixed colour is then perceived. By varying the composition and size of the sectors, it is possible to give the ...

Determining the refractive index of glass

Principle

In this experiment, the students have the possibility of perfecting their experimental skills and strengthening their understanding of the law of refraction. In conjunction with the observation of incident light at the boundary between air and glass, ...

Deviating prisms

Principle

The goal of this experiment is that the students become acquainted with special cases of the refraction of light at a prism which are important in technical applications (optical instrument construction). With the investigation and explanation of ...

Light path and focal length of a convex lens

Principle

In conjunction with the experiments on the refraction of light, this experiment is of particular importance. Knowledge of the law of refraction is strengthened and transferred to new contexts. At the same time, in this experiment, the students be ...

Colour dispersion with a prism

Principle

The aim of this experiment is to investigate the dispersion of light. In the course of this, the students' understanding of the refraction of light on crossing from air to glass or glass to air, respectively, is revised with reference to the dependenc ...

Additive colour mixing

Principle

In the experiment on additive colour mixing, the students come to understand one of important, technical process for producing colour images.
They should first investigate the overlapping of two different coloured light beams and then, in a fur ...

The phases of the moon

Principle

This experiment, which should be carried out in a completely darkened room, makes great demands on the students' ability to concentrate and observe.
 

Task

What causes the phases of the moon? Investigate ...

Law of imagery for a convex lens

Principle

The law of imagery is generally first theoretically derived or - depending on the class's proficiency - simply stated and then experimentally confirmed or tested. The experimental test can be performed as suggested.
It is also possible to condu ...

The Galilean telescope

Principle

If you plan to cover both the astronomical and the Dutch telescopes in your physics course in that order, it is advisable to conduct similar experiments and to make comparisons between the two telescope types.
This procedure was followed in the ...

Rotation of the polarisation plane with a sugar solution

Principle

This experiment makes great demands on the students. The saccharimeter model must not only be meticulously constructed, but the measurements also require painstaking care. This is made even more difficult by the requirement for complete darkness in th ...

Colour dispersion with a prism

Diffraction at a grating

Principle

By carrying out this experiment using transmission gratings with largely differing grating constants, the students should gain an understanding of how these affect the interference pattern. Establishing the wavelength ? of light filtered with the ...

Polarisation through quarter-wave plates

Principle

Monochromatic light impinges on a micaplate, perpendicularly to its opticalaxis. If the thickness of the plate is adequate (l/4 plate), a phase shift of 90° occurs between the ordinary and the extraordinary beam when the latter leaves the crystal. The polarisati ...