Ray Tracing

• Pre-Lab Checklist: To be completed before coming to lab.
• Safety Warnings: READ THESE before coming to lab.
• Experiment Notes: Things to keep in mind while performingthe experiment.
• Analysis Notes: Questions to answer in your analysis of theexperiment.
• Grading Breakdown
• Return to Physics Lab Home Page

Pre-Lab Checklist

1. In your own words, describe the situation to be studied and the methods bywhich you will make observations and take data.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. List and define any parameters which will be measured directly.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. List and define any quantities which will be calculated.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. List any graphs or diagrams which will be created during the analysis ofthis experiment.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Safety Tips

The helium-neon laser used in this experiment is a very low power laser thatis unable to burn through paper or damage you skin as you use it. It is,however, powerful enough to permanently damage the light sensitive cells onyour retina. NEVER LOOK DIRECTLY INTO THE BEAM!!!!! Be sure to keep your headwell above the level of the table as you are working so that you won't lookinto the beam accidentally. Also, be very careful when placing objects in thepath of the beam. You don't want to reflect the beam into your eyes.

Experiment Notes

1. Bring a protractor to lab.

2. Have at least three different colors of pencil or ink. This will allow youto easily differentiate between rays traced at diferent incident directions.

3. Trace around the edges of the mirrors and prisms used in the lab so thatyou can keep them in the same positions for each of the three differentincident angles.

4. Challenge #1 is required for this experiment.

Analysis Notes

1. Your results section should contain the index of refraction for the plasticand for water. Compare these indices with known values from the table in yourbook.

2. Mirrors:

   • What is the relationship between the angle of incidence and the angle of reflection for the mirrors? Does the shape of the mirror affect this relationship?
   • In the situation with the mirrors and the parallel lines, does the beam remain parallel, converge, or diverge? Does the behavior of the beam depend on the curvature of the mirror? If so, how?

3. Prisms

   • Compare the incident angles to the refractied angles for each ray. Describe any pattern that you notice.
   • Which ray has the largest deviation for the triangular prism?

4. Lenses

   • For each of the situations with the lenses and the parallel lines, does the beam remain parallel, is it converged to a point, or is it diverged?

Grading Breakdown

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• Physics 002

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