Lab #29.12 Light: Trapping the Light Fantastic

Discussion
When light passes from one transparent material to another, it undergoes refraction. If the light crosses the boundary between the materials at an angle, the light changes direction. In this activity, you will see how the direction changes when light travels from air to water and when light travels from water to air.

Required Equipment

Light beam viewing tank (or equivalent), opaque white tank insert, stirring rod, access to water
access to scattering agent (Mop-N-Glo™, Pine-Sol™, powdered milk, or equivalent), laser pointer

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Student Worksheet   Teacher Notes