Refraction & Lenses

PHY 100 & 103

Students use precision optics bench and several lenses alone and in combination to form real and virtual images. Converging lenses have a positive focal length and form both real and virtual images, while diverging lenses have a negative focal length and only form virtual images. Students form a real image of a distant object with a converging lense and determine the focal length of that lens. The students will also measure the focal length of a diverging lens by using it combination with a converging lens to form a real image.

Equipment

Notes

Object mesh mounts to zero on scale, light bulb mounts off scale beyond zero mark. 2.00 m sticks prefered, 1.75 m or 1.00 m sticks may be substituted if 2.00 m sticks are unavailable. Set up the rods so that the light sources are closest to the wall.

Use the lenses with focal length 12.5 cm (B, green) and with focal length 17 cm (small, in styrofoam). Along with the initial apparatus set-up, supply a sufficient number of the appropriate paper procedure handouts for all of the lab sections that will use the set-up over the course of the week. Print the PDF, duplicate to double-sided pages, staple, and leave pile on instructor's table prior to first use of set-up.