Lab #31.3   Light: Diffraction in Action

Purpose
In this activity, students will observe the wave nature of light as it passes through a single, narrow slit. Then they'll observe the effect of light passing through many narrow slits.

Discussion
We are accustomed to light traveling in straight-line paths. We don’t expect light to bend around corners or to spread out after passing through small holes. Yet it is capable of doing both! In this activity, you will see the effect of light spreading out after passing through a narrow opening. And you will see that different colors spread out by different amounts.

Required Equipment

Point source of light (Mini Maglite™ or equivalent), 2 pencils (or equivalent), diffraction grating, access to a compact fluorescent light (illuminated)

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Student Worksheet   Teacher Notes

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