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Lecture Demonstrations Laboratory

The Demonstrations Manual

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Geometrical Optics
Diffraction
Interference and Diffraction
Arago's (Poisson's) Spot
Razor Edge Diffraction
Interference
Color
Polarization
The Eye

Arago's (Poisson's) Spot

Purpose:

A non-intuitive illustration of the wave theory of light.

Procedure:

Point the setup at the screen (the farther away from the screen, the better).

Hints:

The razor edge and the Poisson spot are on the same mount.
In room 203 use a regular camera and #4 light setup to project the diffraction pattern on the big screen.

Comments:

If you have a suggestion for the use of this demo which might benefit others, you can enter it below.

Equipment:

  • Small Bead on Glass Plate
  • Optical Stand
  • Laser
  • 18.8 cm Lens and stand