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"I sent CoolStuff to a new teacher I'm
mentoring. I use CoolStuff all the time and love it. The kids love it and learn from it!"
~ Dixie D. from Texas
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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)
Download
Student Worksheet
Teacher Notes
Return to Lab Menu
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