Agenda:

 Quarter 4 Project (Yellow Handout)

 Mini Lab Questions
 Total Internal Reflection
 Wave Properties – Diffraction and Interference
 Double Slit Interference
Project: The main idea of this project is to ask a question pertaining to physics and then
answer it. You may answer it by doing experiments, text-based research or a little of
both. Each group will have 3 members, 4 is accepted, but these groups will have higher
expectations. The presentation day has been changed to June 10, the last red day of the
school year.

Mini-Labs: Due on Monday

For percent error: Lucite’s Expected Index of Refraction is 1.51
Try to comment on the differences and similarities of the glass and plastic. They have
different physical properties, but similar optical properties; what does this mean for us?

Total Internal Reflection:

Total internal reflection can only occur when light moves from one medium to
another medium with a larger index of refraction value. This means that the incident
angle is smaller than the exit angle of the light. Total internal refraction is demonstrated
when the exit angle becomes greater than 90 degrees, thus forcing the light to reflect off
the surface like a mirror.
We watched a few demonstrations that showed the internal reflection of light. The
first demonstration had a tube filled to the top with water and a hole a few inches above
the base on one side. A laser was lined up with the hole, so the light was shining through
the water and coming out the hole on the opposite side. As the water left the hole, the
laser’s light went with the water, but did not leave the water. The light bent with the
water and bounced off the sides many times to create a braided look in the water’s path.
 The second demonstration used a long solid plastic tube that was bent into a spiral
shape. When a laser’s light went into the tube, it didn’t leave. The light bounced off the
walls inside the tube, but did not escape.

To find the critical angle, or the angle at which light needs to be to create a 90-degree
angle with the normal line, we referred back to Snell’s law. Critical angles are important
because any incident angle larger than the critical angle will cause the light to reflect
back.
The equation for the critical angle can be found using Snell’s equation by
substituting the exit angle for 90 degrees, and since most total internal refraction happens
when going from a medium to air, we substituted the nr with Air’s index of refraction
(which is about 1). Once the substitutions are made, solve for the critical angle.
nisin(θ c) = sin(90)
sin(θ c) = 1/ni
θ c = sin-1(1/ni)
Pictures depicting this can be found on page 4-4 in your yellow book.

Wave Properties:
- Diffraction – A wave’s ability to bend around obstacles.
- Interference – Two types: Constructive (Crest meets Crest) and Destructive (Crest
meets Trough)
To model this, we used a shallow water bath and two pegs attached to a motor that
created ripples in the water. When the ripples from the two vibrating pegs, met and
extended outwards, they created areas with ripples and areas of calm water. The ripples
were caused by constructive interference, and the calm areas were caused by destructive
interference.
In single slit interference, a wave passes through a small opening and creates a new
ripple pattern.

How a wave behaves in single slit interference

 In double slit interference, a wave passes through two slits of an obstacle, two ripples
are also formed and act much like the water did in the shallow water bath with the pegs.

The areas of calm water are the points where it looks like a line is extending outwards,
this is the destructive interference. The areas where there are bolder lines (shadows
caused by the wave crests) that run in a ripple-like fashion are the areas of constructive
interference.
We found this to be true with all waves, including light. When a laser is pointed
through two slits that are very close together, then different spots of light will reflect onto
a wall in equal increments.

A laser passing through two slits at the same time:

In this picture, which can also be found in your book on page 4-2, the light waves travel
at the same rate, and when their crests meet, a dot of constructive interference light is
created. The distance from this point to the centerline is Z. The distance between the slits
is d, and is much, much, much smaller than L, which is the distance the light waves
traveled. The number of spots of light away from the center spot is the value of n. Due to
similar triangles, we can find the wavelength, λ , of the light by finding the values of
these three values and n, using the equation:
nλ = (y x d)/L
This equation is used for when the wavelengths are in constructive interference.
The points of destructive interference, or the space between the spots, occur when at
n – ½ , so the above equation can be solved for destructive interference, but that equation
isn’t normally used because the spaces between the lighted areas are larger and harder to
find the length of for Z.