Demonstrations

Blackboard Optics - Refraction Block

Code Number :	6A42.10
Disclaimer:	Reprinted by permission of Dick Berg, University of Maryland, for use on this website. The demonstrations contained and referenced herein are listed for the purposes of cataloging and describing physics demonstrations which should be conducted only under the direction of a trained instructional support professional or physicist. These demonstrations are not presented for the purpose of being conducted by persons unconnected to this Facility and/or persons not consulting with or being supervised by the recognized instructional support professional or physicist and his/her staff. The University is responsible only for those demonstrations carried out using its own equipment using established safety and scheduling policies, and bears no responsibility for those choosing to use this source material for their own purposes. All demonstrations described and contained herein are public domain, and can also be found in reference materials in libraries, bookstores, and electronic sources. Further information regarding legal liability in use of demonstrations and labs will be found on the web site Injuries in School/College Laboratories in USA. The University of Iowa Disclaimers: University of Iowa Disclaimer All Rights Reserved..
Condition :	Excellent
Principle :	Refraction of Light Waves
Area of Study :	Optics
Equipment :	Blackboard Optics kit 12 VDC power supply, Dry Erase Blackboard on wheels.
Procedure :	The blackboard optics unit is pretty self explanatory, however there is a pamphlet on its use with the unit and in the file. Do Not run the power supply for the light bulb over 12 volts.

Web Links

"Bending Light," http://www.mathpages.com/rr/s6-03/6-03.htm

References

Thomas B. Greenslade, Jr., "Index of Refraction Using Total Internal Reflection", TPT, Vol. 45, # 7, Oct. 2007, p. 420.

Alfred F. Leung, "Measuring the Thickness of a Transparent Ring with a Laser," TPT, Vol. 45, # 4, April 2007, p. 239.

John L. Roeder, "Why Light Won't Refract Through Adjacent Faces of a Cube", TPT, Vol. 45, # 3, March 2007, p. 182.

John J. Lynch, "Snell's Law with Large Blocks", TPT, Vol. 45, # 3, March 2007, p. 180.

Mario Branca, Isabella Soletta, "Construction of Optical Elements with Gelatin", TPT, Vol. 41, # 4, Apr. 2003, p. 249.

Michel Helfgott, "Computer Technologies and the Phenomenon of Refraction", TPT, Vol. 36, # 4, Apr. 1998, p. 236.

J.M. Dudley and A.M. Kwan, "Snell's Law or Harriot's," TPT, Vol. 35, # 3, p. 158-159, (March 1997).

James E. Kettler, "Index of Refraction by Reflected and Refracted Rays", TPT, Vol. 32, # 3, Mar. 1994, p. 190.

George Shellenberger, "Using a Standard Force Table to Verify Snell's Law," TPT, Vol. 28, # 6, p. 422, (September 1990).

Stanley Cloud, "A Simpler Derivation of Snell's Law," TPT, Vol. 27, # 4, p. 284, (April 1989).

Roger Blickensderfer, "Used Nomographs," TPT, Vol. 27, # 4, p. 274, April 1989.

John F. Goehl Jr., "Is the Extrapolation Linear?" TPT, Vol. 26, # 2, p. 105, February 1988.

P.J. Ouseph, "How Many Fish Are in the Tank?" TPT, Vol. 25, # 7, p. 440, October 1987.

Roger Blickensderfer, "Systematic Errors and Graphical Extrapolation", TPT, Vol. 23, # 9, Dec. 1985, p. 545 - 547.

Fred M. Goldberg, "Refraction in Terms of the Deviation of the Light", TPT, Vol. 23, # 1, Jan. 1985, p. 34 - 35.

A. F. Leung, "Refraction Index Measurement with a Ruler", TPT, Vol. 22, # 2, Feb. 1984, p. 94.

James H. Nelson, "Relative Index of Refraction Apparatus", TPT, Vol. 21, # 8, Nov. 1983, p. 552.

J. Neuberger, "Measurement of Index of Refraction", TPT, Vol. 18, # 1, Jan 1980, p. 54.

F. M. Phelps III and B. S. Jacobson, "Measuring the Index of Refraction", TPT, Vol. 18, # 3, Mar. 1980, p. 216.

E. D. Hobbs, "Discovering" Snell's law", TPT, Vol. 16, # 1, Jan. 1978, p. 41.

Marvin Ohriner, "Experimental Demonstration of Fermat's Principle", TPT, Vol. 3, # 5, May 1965, p. 230.

D. Drosdoff, A. Widom, "Snell's Law From an Elementary Particle Viewpoint", AJP, Vol. 73, # 10, Oct. 2005, p. 973.

Jose-Phillippe Perez, "Comment on 'D. Drosdoff, A. Widom, "Snell's Law From an Elementary Particle Viewpoint", AJP, Vol. 73, # 9, Sept. 2005, p. 840.

D. Drosdoff, A. Widom, "Reply to Jose-Phillippe Perez, "Comment on 'D. Drosdoff, A. Widom, "Snell's Law From an Elementary Particle Viewpoint", AJP, Vol. 73, # 9, Sept. 2005, p. 840.

J. West, "Comment on 'Fermat's Principle and the Variational Analysis of an Optical Model for Light Propagation Exhibiting a Critical Radius' by M. Marklund, D. Anderson, F. Cattani, M. Lisak, and L. Lundgren, AJP, Vol. 70, # 7, July 2002, p. 680", AJP, Vol. 71, # 7, July 2003, p. 730.

Harald Helfgott, Michel Helfgott, "A Noncalculus Proof that Fermat's Principle of Least Time Implies the Law of Refraction", AJP, Vol. 70, # 12, Dec. 2002, p. 1224.

Od-2, 3: Freier and Anderson, A Demonstration Handbook for Physics.

O-200: "Parallel Displacement," DICK and RAE Physics Demo Notebook.

3.8.4: Charles Taylor, The Art and Science of Lecture Demonstration, p. 152-153.

"Reflection and Refraction", Selective Experiments in Physics, CENCO, 1940.

Mail Questions and Comments to: Dale Stille