Hole in a Box - Bichsel Boxes

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 Code Number :   6B40.20

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.

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Condition :   Excellent
Principle :   Blackbodies
Area of Study :  Optics  
Equipment :   White box with hole, felt, and construction paper, Black boxes - one white inside, and one black inside.

Procedure :   This demonstration shows that a cavity is blacker than any substance, and as such is a good approximation to an ideal black body.

Holes in black boxes are blacker than the boxes themselves, even though one box is painted white on the inside. 

A variation is to have a box that is painted white inside and out.  Place a black construction paper dot and a black felt cloth dot beside the hole that is in the box.  The hole still looks blacker. 

Irises may be placed on the holes in the boxes if desired. 

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   References
John Harris, "Another Way of Making Black", TPT, Vol. 31, # 5, May 1993, p. 262.

Martin Gardner, "Blacker than Black", TPT, Vol. 31, # 2, Feb. 1993, p. 94.

 

A. J. Dahm, D. N. Langenberg, "Blackbody Radiation from a Single-Mode Source: A Demonstration", AJP, Vol 43, # 11, Nov. 1975, p. 1004.

 

"The Blackest Material Ever Made", Physics Today, p. 28, April 2008.

T. D. Rossing, C. J. Chiaverina, "Light Science: Physics and the Visual Arts", Chapter 6, "Light Sources", Section 6.1, "Blackbody Radiation", p. 129.

T. D. Rossing, C. J. Chiaverina, "Light Science: Physics and the Visual Arts", Chapter 6, "Experiments for Home, Laboratory, and Classroom Demonstration", # 7, "Blacker than Black", p. 149.

" P2-21: Black Body Model ", University of Maryland,



Mail Questions and Comments to:  Dale Stille